


And They Were Roommates

by sweaterweatheridk



Category: Avatar: Legend of Korra
Genre: Also ignore the title, Alternate Universe - High School, Christmas Fluff, Domestic Fluff, Family Fluff, Fluff and Hurt/Comfort, Hurt/Comfort, I'm Bad At Tagging, Korrasami Month, Mutual Pining, One Big Happy Family, Romantic Fluff, Tooth-Rotting Fluff, but they're teachers not students, i hate coming up with titles, idiots to lovers, its a stupid title
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-12-28
Updated: 2021-02-28
Packaged: 2021-03-11 00:33:42
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 13
Words: 37,628
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28376256
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/sweaterweatheridk/pseuds/sweaterweatheridk
Summary: Korra, Asami, Mako, Bolin, and more are all teachers at Republic City High School.  The start of the school year lands Korra with a broken ankle, and she moves in with Asami to recuperate.  The two have been in love with each other for years, and everyone but them seems to know about it.  Living in the same house though, it's only a matter of time before someone confesses...Alternatively:Korra and Asami are oblivious bisexual idiots, Republic City High School is a wild ride
Relationships: Bolin/Opal (Avatar), Jinora/Kai (Avatar), Korra/Asami Sato, Lin Beifong/Kya II, Pema/Tenzin (Avatar), Senna/Tonraq (Avatar)
Comments: 124
Kudos: 396





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Hey readers! It's me, H. This is my first ever fic- hope you like it! See the end of the chapter for more notes

Opal watched the motorcycle tear into the parking lot with a bemused expression on her face. Tires screeching, it swerved into a parking spot on the far end of the lot, near the mechanics and shop classroom. The slender figure straddling the bike cut the engine, pulling off red leather gloves.  
  
“Asami is _so cool_ ,” Opal said in an awed whisper.  
  
“Asami is gonna get herself killed,” Mako cut in, “racing around like a maniac the way she does. Probably would’ve already if she wasn’t such a damn good driver.” He shut the car door, crossing his arms and looking pensively in Asami’s direction.  
  
“Aw, lay off,” Bolin said. “C’mon Mako, you know Asami’s too smart for that. Besides, she’s showing off.” He jerked his head in her direction with a smirk.  
  
Asami was, indeed, making a big show of pulling off her helmet to shake out flowing black tresses. Still straddling the bike, she shot a few furtive looks toward the edge of the parking lot.  
  
“Who’s she looking at?” Opal asked, craning her neck to get a better view. There were a surprising number of cars already in the teacher’s lot, considering classes didn’t start for an hour, but it _was_ the first day of the new school year.  
  
“Who do you think?” Bolin said, smirking.  
  
A sweaty figure jogged into view, wearing sweatpants and a tight blue tank top. Their little group watched Asami look down, pretending not to notice the new arrival.  
  
“Hey Asami!” came a cheerful bellow. The woman paused for a moment, skidding to a halt next to Asami’s motorcycle. With an outstretched hand, she gave Asami what looked to be half of a bagel wrapped in a napkin. Her mouth was open, but apart from the initial greeting, Opal was too far away to hear what she was saying.  
Along with Bolin and Mako, Opal watched Asami bashfully take the bagel, lowering her eyes in a futile attempt to conceal her blush.  
  
“So that’s…”  
  
“Korra, yes,” Mako supplied. It was Opal’s first day of teaching at Republic City High School, and while she’d met the other teachers before, she was still a little hazy on names and faces.  
  
“She brought Asami _breakfast_?”  
  
“Brings her a bagel every morning,” Bolin replied. “Asami’s a caffeine addict like the rest of us, and she’d never eat if Korra didn’t practically spoon feed her.”  
  
There was a pause in conversation as they watched the two women. Korra was talking animatedly, pantomiming something with her muscular arms. If Opal hadn’t known already, she would have guessed that Korra was the PE teacher from her workout clothes, running shoes, and the whistle dangling around her neck. That, and also her… rather _athletic_ build. In contrast, Asami was tall and slender, a picture of elegance. As they watched, she chuckled at Korra’s antics, one hand going up to cover ruby red lips.  
  
“So you’re gonna tell me that,” Opal said. “That both of these extremely attractive, and clearly gay women-”  
  
“Bisexual,” Mako interrupted.  
  
“Okay, bisexual… my point still stands,” Opal continued. “You’re telling me that they’re both still single?”  
  
Bolin guffawed, patting Opal on the back. “Oh, they’re very much taken.”  
  
Opal and Mako exchanged confused looks.  
  
“They’re taken by each other,” Bolin explained. “They just don’t know it yet.”  
He gave a cheeky wink, and the three returned their attention to the pair of women across the parking lot.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay, so that was a lot to get introduced at once! This chapter actually had a lot from Opal's pov but I promise this is a mostly Korrasami story. 
> 
> I have almost 100 pages of this fic already written, so let me know if you guys want more. Although, I'll probably post it whether y'all like it or not...
> 
> I'll try to update weekly at the very least, but like I said the story is pretty much finished already. I'm gonna go back and edit each chapter though, so I'll give myself a week in case life gets busy. 
> 
> Hope you like the story! As always, kudos and comments appreciated :)
> 
> -H
> 
> P.S. I'm working on some pretty cool stuff with A at the moment, stay tuned


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey readers, guess who's back! So, me being the rookie I am... made a small whoopsie. 
> 
> I accidentally only posted half of the first chapter... which is why it was so short. Anyways, I'm just gonna post the second half as its own chapter, which is what you're about to read. 
> 
> Enjoy!

The loudspeaker crackled to life. 

“Good morning, Republic City High! This is your principal, Tenzin Nomad. I wanted to take a moment to welcome everyone to our first day of the new school year. Our incoming class of freshman is excited to be here, and I hope all of you returning students will show them kindness and respect. To our seniors, I wish you all a wonderful last first day at RCH. And finally, I’d like to welcome our newest teacher, Opal Beifong, who will be filling the biology and honors biology position. Good luck to everyone, and go Republic City!”

Asami smiled to herself as she pulled on her favorite pair of gloves. Aside from teaching honors physics, she also taught Mechanics and Shop, which came as a bit of a surprise to many freshman boys expecting a buff, bearded dude when they first walked into her classroom. But it didn’t take long for the students to adjust to her heeled and polished appearance. Asami was a gifted engineer, and a low ponytail, pair of gloves, and a few grease smudges later, she looked like a true mechanic, just with some extra lipstick.

“Hey, Asami, you got a minute?” asked Bolin, peeking his head through her open classroom door. “I brought Opal to come say hi!” he said brightly, pulling the slender woman into the doorway with him. 

“Hey Opal! You look great!” Asami said encouragingly, taking in the woman’s simple green dress and silver necklace. “That dress really sets off your eyes.”

“You think so? Thanks, Asami,” the woman responded. “You’re looking sexy as always,” she said, gesturing to Asami’s combo charcoal gray jumpsuit and red high heel ankle boots. Bolin faked a yawn.

“Ladies, if we’re done hitting on each other…” he said, earning a swat from Opal. Before he could respond, the warning bell rang. 

“Oh! Gotta get to class,” Opal squeaked, dashing down the hall. “See you at lunch!”

Asami waved in response.

“I’ve gotta get going too,” Bolin said. “Got a great Nuktuk movie to show my kids for the first day!” Asami just chuckled. Bolin and Mako had played pro sports for a while, before Mako got on the straight and narrow to become a detective and Bolin had gotten into acting. He’d actually become quite famous, even starring in the movie franchise about a great hero named _Nuktuk the Brave_. Some way or another, he ended up as head of the theater department at Republic City High. Not long after that, he had gotten Mako a part-time job as counsellor, on top of his detective work. The brothers had a rough childhood, and even now they always looked out for each other. It was something Asami admired deeply about their relationship. 

* * * *

They all gathered in the teacher’s lounge at lunch, laughing and talking so boisterously they could almost be mistaken as kids. Bolin took it upon himself to explain the identity of the teachers, much to Opal’s annoyance.

“So over there, that’s Tenzin, the principal,” he said grandly.

“Bolin, _I know_ , he’s the one who gave me my job!”

“And then that grumpy one over there with the scar, that’s Lin Beifong, she’s head of security.”

“Yes, I know her too, she’s my aunt!”

“Oh, and then that lady with the gray hair is Suyin, she’s the ceramics and sculpture teacher.”

“ _Bolin! That’s my mother!_ ” 

The group roared with laughter as Opal visibly swelled with anger at Bolin’s antics. Mako simply smacked his face with a gloved hand, sighing.

“There _are_ a few people you might not know,” said Asami, trying to gracefully salvage the conversation. “This is Kya, Tenzin’s sister” she said, gesturing to a woman with silver hair and dark skin like Korra’s. 

“School nurse,” she said pleasantly, giving Opal’s hand a squeeze. “Pleasure to meet you.”

“And this here is Bumi,” Asami continued, “He’s their brother and he teaches history. He’s a little crazy,” she muttered in Opal’s ear, “but a sweetheart nonetheless.” 

Bumi pumped her hand enthusiastically. “Bumi II. You know, I was a general in the armed forces, back when you were probably just a wee little thing, and I remember one time we-”

“I’m sure you had quite the adventure,” cut in Tenzin, approaching their table. “One that will have to wait until another time to share. Opal, it’s wonderful to have you here. How is your first day going?”

“Pretty smooth so far!” answered Opal. “The kids seem really great! Quick question though- _your_ kids don’t happen to go here, do they?”

“In fact, they do,” came a warm voice. “I’m Pema, Tenzin’s husband. I teach home economics. You probably met Ikki and Meelo earlier, they’re taking your class, I believe.”

“Yes, as a matter of fact I did,” Opal responded. “They seem like great kids, junior and freshman, right?”

“Yep!” Korra confirmed. “But wait till you meet Jinora. She’s a senior this year- smartest kid you’ll ever meet.”

“You won’t have her for class, sorry,” Asami cut in. “She’s taking honors physics with me.”

“Aw bummer!” said Opal. “Oh well, I’m sure I’ll get to meet her at some point.” 

Korra looked down at her watch and jumped. “Ah man, I gotta run! Gonna play volleyball today- those nets don’t set themselves up! See you all later!” she said with a grin, chugging down the last of her water bottle before bouncing out of the room.

“Is she usually running late?” asked Opal. The group just chuckled.

“Usually? Try _always_. I don’t think the concept of schedules has made it through her thick skull yet,” Mako joked. 

“Aw, lay off her,” Asami joked. “She’s a great teacher- look at how the kids love her!” 

It was true, Korra was much beloved by the entire student population, regardless of whether or not they actually enjoyed physical activity. Korra being so genuinely enthusiastic tended to open people up, Asami mused, realizing that she was speaking from personal experience.

“You know,” Opal commented offhandedly. “I think I’m gonna like it here.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope you enjoyed! This chapter, once again, is just a lot of setting up the characters and AU... 
> 
> Don't worry, things get interesting next chapter >:)
> 
> As always, kudos and comments appreciated 
> 
> -H


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey readers! Guess who's back?
> 
> So, I'm thinking of posting twice a week, if my schedule allows. I'll try to update you guys if it's gonna be a longer wait between chapters; I'm planning on reworking certain parts of the story.
> 
> Also, some of y'all bookmarked this, which.... _wow_. Thanks!
> 
> Anyways, here's chapter 3. Enjoy!
> 
> Warning: language, mild descriptions of violence? accidents? Idk what to call it- Korra breaks her ankle, read at your own risk

Korra blinked, and it was almost the end of the first week of school.  
It was a Friday, and Fridays always meant free choice in P.E. This was just one item on the very long list of things her students adored about Korra. Others included her meditation days (whenever they needed a mental health break), her boundless enthusiasm, and the way she would actively participate and compete with the kids. 

Currently, it was fifth period, which was the seniors (possibly Korra’s favorite class). The students were spread across the enormous gym in small groups while Korra surveyed the chaos. She was wearing her usual sleeveless blue tank top, navy sweatpants, and nikes, her ever present whistle hanging from a cord around her neck.

“Coach K?” one of the guys yelled. “Can you come judge our pullup contest?!”

“Sorry kid,” she yelled back from across the room. “You’re on your own, I gotta make sure none of these goofballs kill themselves on the trampoline!” She winked at Jinora, who was standing next to her. 

“Have Kai judge you guys instead!” Korra suggested, cupping her hands around her mouth to make her voice louder. Not that it needed to be. Coach K’s bellow was legendary for its ability to travel enormous distances and pierce through any intervening noise.

The kid gave her a double thumbs up, turning to his green-eyed, tousle-haired friend. Kai was a favorite of Korra’s, who was a softy for good kids from rough backgrounds. He’d been cycled through the foster care system a few times, before finally making it to Jinora’s family. The two had been dating steadily for almost two years now, something Tenzin still wasn’t quite accustomed to.

“Wanna throw your full?” Korra asked, turning back to Jinora. Besides being an excellent academic school, Republic City High was known for its talented athletes and gymnasts. 

“Well… I don’t know,” she said hesitantly. “Maybe we should just work on tucks for a while?” 

“Oh come on,” wheedled Korra. “It’ll be fun! Besides, I’m always here to catch you. Don’t you trust me?” She gave her trademark crooked grin, and Jinora wavered.

“Ok fine,” she finally relented. “Well… lemme warm up a bit first.”

Korra kept watch on Jinora out of the corner of her eye, but let her gaze scan the gym. There were groups of kids scattered about, some playing basketball or volleyball, some jump roping (mostly girls), and an ever present group of guys in the corner trying to outperform each other in pullup or push up competitions. All in all, a normal day in the gym.

“‘Kay, I think I’m ready, Korra,” called Jinora, drawing Korra's attention back to the trampoline. “Oops! I mean Coach K!” Korra was very close with the Nomads, and every now and then one of the kids would slip up and call her by her first name. But she didn’t mind; she felt almost like an older sister to them- a _much_ older sister.

“Okay, deep breaths,” Korra told Jinora. “Get a couple of bounces going for momentum, and then off you go!” 

Jinora exhaled, lifting and then dropping her shoulders, eyes narrowed in concentration. She bounced a few times, gaining height, and then started her flip, rotating once, twice, arcing up and over, and landing neatly on her feet. Jinora promptly fell on her butt in surprise, blinking a few times as the kids nearby broke out into applause.

“Great job, kid!” Korra said, placing a hand on the girl’s shoulder. “See, I told you. Nothing to be worried about!” Jinora smiled triumphantly, shooting to her feet. 

“Can I go again?” she asked. “I wanna get it into my system, start building up muscle memory.” Korra chuckled at the girl’s boundless motivation, motioning to go ahead. Happily, Jinora started bouncing again, gathering momentum. Turning her attention away for a second, Korra surveyed the gym with a watchful eye. Free choice was always a little risky, with so many activities going on at once, but she knew she could handle it. After all, what could really go wrong?

Of course, that was precisely when _everything_ went wrong. 

Tahno, a smooth-talking delinquent with gelled hair, jumped hard on the trampoline to purposely throw off Jinora’s bounce. Successfully double bouncing her, she shot into the air awkwardly, trying desperately to right herself as she began to flip upside down. But with most of her momentum taken by Tahno’s interference, Jinora fell toward the trampoline headfirst. 

Korra turned and saw the events play out as if in slow motion. Only one thought went through her mind: get to Jinora before she landed on her head. Leaping out into the middle of the trampoline, she grabbed the upside-down girl around the middle and let their combined momentum flip Jinora back the way she came, landing her neatly on her feet on the edge of the trampoline. 

Korra wasn’t so lucky. 

She missed the lip of the trampoline by _just enough_ for her foot to get caught in between the springs as her full bodyweight landed on top of it. There was a sickening _crunch_ as her ankle rolled, and searing pain shot up her leg. 

“ _Motherfucker_ ,” she gasped, tears welling up automatically in her eyes. 

Jinora, realizing something was wrong, turned with wide eyes. She saw Korra, face first next to her on the ground with one foot still stuck in the trampoline springs. She let out an audible gasp when she saw actual tears in the teacher’s eyes, although Korra swiped them away immediately. 

“Korra!” she yelled, this time not noticing the slip up. “Are you okay?” 

“Do I _look_ okay to you?” the woman asked, lifting her head to raise an eyebrow at Jinora. “Comere, help me get my stupid foot untangled.” Jinora stepped cautiously onto the trampoline, trying to keep it as still as possible. By now, everyone nearby was realizing what had happened, and a small huddle of kids formed around Korra. 

“Don’t worry ‘bout me, guys,” she said, flapping a hand as if to shoo them away. “Go join another activity or something, I’ll be fine.” No sooner had the words left her mouth when she yelped in pain as the trampoline shifted.

“Sorry!” cried Jinora, “I’m trying not to move it but it’s kinda hard!”

“It’s fine,” Korra hissed through her teeth. “Ya know what, screw this.” With that, she put her arms on the ground and pushed with considerable strength, yanking her trapped ankle out of the trampoline. 

“Frick!” she yelled. “That hurt like a motherfu- okay guys, just pretend I didn’t say any of that…”

Jinora rushed to her teacher’s side with concern in her wide eyes. “Korra, I’m gonna go get Nurse Kya- you need ice, don’t you?” 

By now, awareness had spread across the gym. Kai sprinted over, leaving his friends indignantly hanging from the pullup bars in the middle of their competition.  
“

Go-” he began.

“Already on it!” Jinora yelled, dashing out of the gym toward the nurse’s office.

“Hey I think you left some of your friends _hanging_ over there,” said Korra, smirking. “Literally!” The humor was clearly a facade, however, as the words caught in her throat and her eyes were glazed with pain.

Kai chuckled to himself as he helped her sit up. “Can you stand? Here, lean on my shoulder,” he said, as Korra tried to put weight on her leg and it collapsed underneath her. 

“ _Fuck_ ,” she muttered under her breath in agony as pain flared up around her ankle.

“Wow, Coach K, didn’t know you had such a pottymouth,” Kai joked, helping her hop awkwardly to the bleachers. Every tiny movement sent white hot shards of pain up her leg, and she squeezed her eyes shut tightly to suppress tears. Reaching the bleachers, Korra sat down heavily with a groan. 

“I think I get a pass this time” she panted, waving her hand dismissively. “Here, get my shoe off.”

Kai tugged gently at her Nike, earning a wince and a glare. “Sorry!” he muttered, managing to pull the shoe all the way off. 

Just then, Jinora rushed back into the gym, pulling Kya along by her hand. 

“Spirits, Korra, what did you get yourself into?” Kya asked as she took in Korra’s scrunched face and swollen ankle. 

“Got my foot stuck in the trampoline trying to catch Jinora,” she grimaced. “Speaking of that... where’s Tahno?” 

“He’s gone!” Jinora cried, looking around frantically. “He must’ve run off.”

“I’ll take care of him,” Kai said menacingly, cracking his knuckles. 

“You will do no such thing!” exclaimed the nurse. “I’ve seen my fair share of fights with that kid, and he _always_ comes out on top.” Kai glowered, looking like he still had half a mind to go chasing after the bully.

“Hey, easy, Tiger,” Korra said, calling Kai by her favorite nickname for him. He instantly softened, looking at his teacher with concern in his green eyes. 

“I know you’re looking out for me, and I appreciate it,” she panted, squeezing her eyes shut against the pain. Taking a deep, gulping breath, Korra collected herself, reaching out to ruffle Kai’s already messy brown hair. “But I’ll settle it with Tahno myself. Well… maybe not right away,” she corrected, wincing sharply.

“Hey, Jinora,” Korra said, turning to the teen. “Do me a favor and round up the class- just get everyone to pack up and go shower. Kai, you can help her.” 

Jinora looked reluctant to leave her teacher, but Kai looped an arm around her shoulders and gave a comforting squeeze. As he led her away, he peeked over his shoulder and winked at Korra, who laughed out loud. 

She turned her attention back to Kya as the nurse bent down and rolled up the leg of her sweatpants with gentle hands. Her ankle was swollen to twice its normal size, and already tinged purple. 

“Where does it hurt the most?” Kya asked.

Korra motioned with her hands. “Here,” she said, gesturing to the outside of her leg, above the ankle bone. “But it kind of wraps around my whole ankle.” Both women regarded the twisted angle of her leg, and the bulge where Korra had indicated her pain.

“You’re not gonna like this,” Kya warned. 

“Oh, believe me- I know.”  
“I’m almost positive it’s broken, or at least fractured. That bump above your ankle bone?” Kya indicated with her finger, “should not be there. It could just be swelling… but it might be a piece of bone.” 

Korra moaned, holding her face in her hands. “How long am I out for? A couple weeks?” she asked. 

Kya resisted the urge to laugh. “Korra, honey, you’re getting a little ahead of yourself. Let’s go get x-rays done, and then we’ll see. Besides, if it’s completely snapped you might need surgery.”

“Surgery?” Korra exclaimed. “Oh, man, could this get any worse? I swear, when I find that Tahno kid I’m gonna- _yeowch!_ Kya, that hurt!” she protested, as the nurse pressed an ice pack firmly to Korra’s ankle. Kya began winding that clear wrap that belongs exclusively to school nurses around the ice pack to keep it in place, drawing further wincing and cursing from Korra. 

“You’re worse than most of the kids! I’ve half a mind to wash out your mouth with soap” Kya joked, earning a glare from Korra. “Okay, that’s all I can do for now. We _definitely_ need to get you to an ER though, get you checked out.” 

“We are NOT calling an ambulance,” said Korra loudly as the nurse pulled out her cell phone and began dialing. 

“Honey, you’re in no condition to drive, and I’m not allowed to leave school on the clock.”

“Hold on,” said Korra, snatching the phone away from the nurse. She dialed the number from memory. 

* * * *

_Brrrring, brrring, brrring!_ The sound of Asami’s phone ringing distracted her, and her hand slipped, catching on a sharp piece of metal.

“Ouch!” she cried, sucking on the cut to stop the bleeding. “I’m fine, I’m fine,” she said, waving away concerned looks from her freshmen. “And that, my friends, is why you should always be using gloves.” Thankfully, the cut was shallow, and she grabbed a paper towel and pressed down firmly on it. Ignoring the phone, Asami reached into one of the supply cupboards for a band aid. 

Ignoring the phone became a little difficult, however, as the ringing just _would not stop_. Sighing in exasperation, she went to answer the phone and chew out whoever was on the other end. As she flipped it over, however, she saw that it was Kya. 

“Hello?” she answered, a _little_ confused as to why the school nurse was calling her in the middle of class. 

“Hey, ‘Sami!” came an answering voice that most definitely did _not_ belong to Kya.  
“Korra?” she responded. “What in Raava’s name is going on? Why are you using Kya’s phone- in the _middle of class_ , no less? Aren’t you teaching?” She could practically hear Korra grimace at the barrage of questions.

“I’ll explain later- point is, are you free next period? I need you to drive me somewhere.”

“Um, yeah- I have a prep period next. And don't mind me asking,” she said, getting a little annoyed, “but where on earth do you need to rush off to in the middle of the school day?”

“The ER,” came Korra’s mumbled response. Asami gasped in surprise, and a few of her students shot her concerned looks. _Give me a sec_ , she mouthed to them, and pointed at the clock. Meelo, catching her drift, looked up to see that there were only two minutes left in the period.

“Come on people, let’s pack it up,” he shouted, directing grumbling students to begin cleaning up their workstations. Asami turned back to her phone conversation.

“Korra, _what is going on?_ What the _hell_ do you need to go to the hospital for? Oops, sorry,” she said to her students as they looked at her askance. Asami _never_ cursed. 

“Nothing major,” Korra responded. “Kya thinks I broke my ankle- she wants me to get it checked out.” _Nothing major, huh?_ Asami thought to herself, rolling her eyes. 

“Kya thinks you _broke yo-_ you know what, I don’t wanna know. Are you sure you shouldn’t be calling an ambulance? It sounds pretty serious… ”

“Meet you in the parking lot in 2 minutes!”

“Korra? Korra, _are you there?_ ” Asami heard her phone buzz, signaling the end of the call, and shook her head. _Always was a headstrong one,_ she thought to herself, turning to address her students. 

“Sorry guys, but I’ve gotta run,” she said. “Meelo, you’re in charge for the rest of class, everyone just sit still and don’t touch anything. If I come back and hear a single one of you decided to play with the tools and cut yourself or something, rest assured I will-”

“Don’t worry about it,” came a squeaky but commanding voice. Asami looked down to see Meelo’s hands on her waist, quite literally pushing her out the door. “I’ve got it _all_ under control.” 

Wondering vaguely if trusting Meelo was a good idea, she allowed herself to be pushed out into the hall, ditching her goggles and gloves as she went. She was turning back to go grab her purse when Meelo held it out to her, giving her a look as if to say _I’ve got this._

“Thanks, buddy,” she said, taking the purse without a second thought and racing down the hall.

* * * *

“Korra!” cried Asami in concern, catching sight of her friend. She was being wheeled through the parking lot in a rolling office chair by Nurse Kya, and even from a distance Asami could see the bulge where an ice pack was wrapped around her ankle.

“Like my sweet ride?” Korra asked, smirking, as they met at Asami’s Sato-mobile. 

“Is that an office chair?” 

“Yes,” Kya chuckled. “Since she wouldn’t let me call an ambulance, I had to make other arrangements.”

“What happened?” Asami asked, still in shock over the situation. “Korra refused to tell me when she called.”

“Hey, I’m right here!” the P.E. teacher protested as the two women struck up a conversation over her head.

Kya ignored her completely. “As far as I can tell, there was some sort of trampoline accident- something to do with Tahno? She jumped in to catch Jinora and got her foot stuck in the springs.”  
Asami winced in sympathy. 

Together, Kya and Asami helped Korra awkwardly into the front seat of the car, with a fair amount of cursing from the latter. 

“Okay, I’ve gotta get back to my office! Do you think you’ll be back in time for 7th? If not I can get Tenzin to call a sub- we need one for Korra anyway,” Kya said, beginning to push the old office chair back toward the school. 

“I should be back- maybe get someone to cover for the first few minutes just in case? I think Opal might be open,” Asami responded. She waved at Kya before walking around the car to slide into the driver’s seat. 

The melancholy pout on Korra’s face was so out of character that she laughed out loud. 

“Korra, honey, are you okay?” she asked, blushing slightly as the pet name just slipped out. 

“Well, I suppose I’ve been worse,” Korra responded, experimentally twitching her ankle. She winced.

“That’s the spirit,” said Asami, whizzing out of the parking lot.

Korra was thrown flat against her seat. “Sheesh woman, do you wanna get us arrested today too?”

“No, just trying to get back before seventh period starts,” she said. “I’d rather not miss the last class of the first week, thank you very much.” Asami regretted her snippy tone the minute she looked over at Korra, who seemed to be in significant pain. Her head was leaned back against the headrest, eyes closed and brow furrowed. 

“Hey. Thanks for doing this,” Korra said suddenly, placing a hand on her friend’s arm. A tingle went up Asami’s spine at the contact. 

“No problem,” she said, blushing. “No problem at all.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> *grins slyly*
> 
> So, bit of a longer chapter this time for y'all. Just you wait though, things are _just_ getting started. 
> 
> As always, kudos and comments appreciated! 
> 
> -H


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Annnnnnd I'm back! 
> 
> I caught a couple of formatting errors on the last chapter, my apologies. What can I say though, I'm still very much a rookie.
> 
> Anyway, enjoy the chapter!

_“Go!” said Korra. “Go teach your kids, I’ll still be here when you come back.”_

_“Are you sure?” Asami asked uncertainly. “Tenzin got me a sub, I can just stay here…”_

_Korra gave her a gentle shove from her wheelchair. “They’re just doing x-rays, it’s not like I’m getting brain surgery! Come back when school’s over to pick me up.”_

_Asami huffed. “Okay fine. But don’t pull anything crazy while I’m gone.”_

_“Korra Tonraqson?” came a call from one of the nurses. “We’re ready for you.”_

_Korra winked at Asami over her shoulder, shooing her with a free hand as the nurse wheeled her across the crowded E.R._

When Korra had last seen Asami, she’d been waving her away without a care in the world. She was still slumped in the same wheelchair, but much of her good humor had left. 

Oh, who was she kidding?  
_All_ of her good humor had left. The doctor said something to her, motioning to her x-rays, but she didn’t seem to notice.

“Korra?” the man tried again, snapping her out of her thoughts.

“Wha- oh sorry,” she said, “Spaced out for a second there.” 

“That’s perfectly all right,” her doctor said. “Anyway, if you’ll look here on your x-ray,” he pointed with the other end of a ballpoint pen. Korra peered closely. “There’s quite a bit of damage. You’ve fractured your tibia here” he said, pointing, “and over here there’s a clean break of the fibula, just above your ankle bone. Unfortunately, the top half of the bone slid completely out of place.”

Korra groaned. “I’m assuming whatever comes next isn’t good news?”

“I’m sorry to say so, but yes,” the doctor responded. “Korra, you’re going to need surgery.”

* * * *

“Korra!” Asami yelled, weaving through the crowded waiting room. She could see the familiar brown bob peeking up over the back of a wheelchair in the hall. The nurse who was pushing Korra heard Asami’s cries, and stopped to turn the wheelchair around. 

“Korra, I got here as fast as I could,” she panted, reaching her friend. “Mako, Bolin and Opal are all in the car, they wanted to-” she stopped short at the look on Korra’s face. 

Korra’s cerulean eyes were wide with pain and fear. There was an expression of such raw anguish on her face that Asami could feel a lump forming in her own throat. As Asami watched, Korra’s eyes welled up with tears, and her lip trembled. 

“Oh, Korra,” Asami murmured, dropping to her knees and flinging her arms around Korra, who buried her face in Asami’s shoulder. “ _Korra_...” 

“I have to get surgery,” Korra whispered, almost choking on the lump in her throat. “‘Sami, I’m scared.” A lone tear slid down her face, and Asami squeezed her even tighter in response. 

She didn’t know what to say. 

Korra… scared? 

While obviously Korra wasn’t invincible, she seemed pretty damn close. Over the several years she’d known Korra, Asami had seen her cry exactly _once_ , and that wasn’t a moment she’d care to relive. It scared Asami, how lost she’d seemed that day. An echo of that look was etched in Korra’s eyes right now, and Asami would be lying if she said she wasn’t terrified. 

“Korra, you are the bravest person I know,” Asami said, still holding the woman tightly to her. “Come on. Look at me,” she pleaded, releasing the hug and holding Korra at arm’s length to make eye contact. “Korra, I know you’ve been through a lot. More than most people could even begin to imagine. But this? A measly broken ankle? Even if it does require surgery, you are _more_ than capable of handling it.” Her words stunned Korra into silence. Emotions flashed across her face, shock, confusion, and then understanding as she realized what Asami was trying to do. 

“I guess so,” she sniffed finally, giving Asami a watery smile. _Thanks for snapping me out of it_. 

“That’s what I thought,” her friend responded, reaching up to gently touch her face. “Now come on, let’s get you cleaned up. We don’t want you looking like a mess when the gang comes in.”

“The gang?” Korra asked. “You brought Bolin and Mako?”

Asami smiled, dabbing at Korra’s cheek with her sleeve. “And Opal. They’re waiting in the car to see you.” _And they’re very worried about you,_ she added in her head. The unspoken words hung between them. 

“Ahem,” the nurse still standing behind Korra’s wheelchair gave a little cough. “I think it would be best if we move Korra to her room first,” she said. “She’s going to have to stay the night- the swelling in her ankle needs to go down before we can operate.”

“Okay Nurse… Judi,” said Asami, looking at the woman’s name tag. “That sounds great. I’ll go get my friends from the car while you get Korra settled.”

Korra took a deep breath, rolling her shoulders to get rid of some of her nervous tension. “Phew, okay, I think I’m better now.” she said, dabbing at the underneath of her eyes. “Honestly Asami, I don’t know what’s up with you- making me break down and cry like that!”

Asami pouted, pretending to be hurt, but inside she was thrilled to see her friend’s joking spirit return. Giving her a final pat on the knee, Asami stood and walked toward the doors gracefully.

Korra sat in her wheelchair, waiting for the nurse to push her out of the room.

“She really is a gorgeous one,” the nurse marveled, unconsciously roving her eyes over Asami’s form.

“You can say that again,” said Korra with a chuckle. 

* * * *

When her friends came into the room, Judi was just finishing arranging pillows under Korra’s broken ankle, which was now wrapped tightly in a temporary splint.

“Korra!” yelled Bolin, charging across the room. He dove onto the bed, tackling Korra in a signature Bolin bear hug. 

“Hey! Watch the leg!” she yelped, chuckling nonetheless at her friend’s antics. Opal and Mako crossed the room at a more sedate pace, eyes full of concern. 

Opal placed a gentle hand on Korra’s shoulder. “Asami told us the news- how are you feeling?”

“I’ve been better,” Korra said, “But I’ve been a lot worse too,” she added, grinning ruefully. 

“That’s the spirit!” chimed Bolin from his position wrapped around Korra.

She shoved him playfully off of her. “Bo, I think your girlfriend’s getting jealous,” she said with a smirk in Opal’s direction. The woman swatted at her teasingly.

“We picked up some food on the way- figured you’d be hungry,” said Asami, bringing over a bag of takeout.

“‘Sami, have I ever told you how much I love you?” Korra asked, with her signature goofy grin. 

“You could stand to mention it more,” Asami joked, but she could feel her face heating up.

“Oooh, somebody’s blushing!” teased Opal. 

“Oh, enough of this!” Mako finally burst out, tired of the constant teasing. “Come on guys, poor Korra’s in the hospital and we’re joking like this?”

“Actually, it’s kinda nice,” Korra cut in. “Keeps my mind off… things,” she said softly, looking at her heavily bandaged leg. _Like surgery._

The room went silent. 

Mako shifted awkwardly from foot to foot, looking down. “Sorry, Korra, I just-”

“‘S okay,” she said suddenly. “I know you’re just trying to look out for me. Now come on, everyone tell me how their first week of school went!”

Mako groaned as she socked him in the ribs, almost knocking the wind out of him. Gentle punches seemed to be a foreign concept to the muscular woman. The group gathered around Korra’s bed, settling in and swapping stories of their classes. Opening up a bit, Mako shared a few of the ridiculous schedule change requests he’d gotten, one of which included a switch out of math from a freshman because, “she was allergic to algebra.” Bolin set off on a tearful monologue about the lack of appreciation for Nuktuk the Brave, to which Opal suggested they have a movie marathon later that weekend to cheer him up. Everyone burst into hysterics as Korra provided a dramatic reenactment of Tahno barfing after trying to out-flip Jinora on the trampoline earlier that week.  
Asami was mostly content to listen to her colleagues laugh and talk. From her spot perched on the edge of Korra’s bed, she thought about how lucky she was to have them all as friends. 

Especially Korra. 

The woman was so genuine and enthusiastic, as well as extremely capable and considerate of others. _Not to mention downright hot,_ a little voice in her head said as she watched Korra flexing her biceps to show off. _Oh, shut up,_ she told it, _Korra’s my coworker!_

__

___Still pretty damn sexy,_ said the little voice, and secretly, she agreed. Smiling quietly to herself, she admired Korra’s smooth, dusky skin and the outline of her back muscles through her thin tank top. What she loved most about her friend, however, even more than her figure, was her eyes. They were so bright and blue, like you could see the joy in her soul just spilling over. And that _smile,_ that crooked goofy smile… Asami realized she was smitten. _ _

__

__Korra caught her eye as Bolin took over the attention of the group. “You okay?” she asked her friend. “You seem kinda quiet.”_ _

__

__“Just thinking,” Asami said with a smile. _About you.__ _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, hope you liked it! There was a little hint of angst in there for y'all... more of that's coming.  
> The next chapter actually does need to be reworked quite a bit- hopefully it'll be up sometime this weekend. 
> 
> Also I'm almost at 1,000 hits? What? Thank you guys so, so much for reading- it means the world to me.
> 
> As always, kudos and comments appreciated!
> 
> -H


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I made it! Ngl I wanted to have this posted for you guys on Saturday, but I did say I'd update 'sometime this weekend' so IT COUNTS. 
> 
> Also HOLY SHIT (pardon my language). 1,000 and 1,500 hits in the same chapter? You guys are the best :)))
> 
> Trigger warning for descriptions of past trauma, military stuff, paralysis.... it's nothing too awful (at least I don't think) but I go into a bit of depth about how Korra was paralyzed in this AU plus some stuff about her mental health  
> If I'm doing at awful job at putting in warnings someone please correct me!
> 
> Also pardon any medical inaccuracies since I am not a doctor... if anyone is tho, feel free to correct me. 
> 
> Okay that's it, enjoy the chapter!

“Principal Tenzin!” said Asami, stepping outside of Korra’s room to answer her phone. “How are you?”

“Asami, really, how many times do I need to tell you? Just Tenzin is fine. You’re a part of the family now,” the man answered. “Besides, I’m fine- I’m calling to ask about Korra. How is she doing?   
What’s the news?”

Asami paused, wondering how much to say. “She’s… okay,” she said hesitantly. “The doctor says she’s going to need surgery, and they have her scheduled for tomorrow. She’s fine now- we’re all just hanging out in her room and she seems as boisterous as ever.” Asami bit her lip, deciding to confide in the man. “But, Tenzin… Korra was _crying_ earlier. And honestly, that wasn’t even the bad part. She just looked scared. And… lost.” She immediately thought of Korra’s past, but she didn’t have the strength to bring it up.

“Like she was all those years ago,” he said, adding what Asami couldn’t. “After she left the military.” She was shocked at how calmly he was taking it. 

“I don’t understand!” she said. “Korra’s so tough, and it’s just a broken ankle, isn’t it? I mean that sounds really harsh but it’s nothing compared to what she’s already gone through!”

“Well, let’s think about it,” Tenzin sighed. “Asami, when I first met Korra, she was much like the Korra we have now. Funny, intelligent, quite headstrong and independent.” 

“Sounds about right,” Asami chuckled. 

“And I’m not sure if you know this about Korra, but she was very sheltered as a child- growing up in the South Pole with her parents. As soon as she got the chance, she ran off and joined the military, which is around the time she met you, I believe.” Asami nodded in confirmation. “Has she told you much about her time in the military? And afterward?”

“Now that I think about it… no,” Asami said. “I mean, no one really wanted to bring it up, not after… what happened,” she trailed off.

“Well, it’s not really my place to talk about any of that,” Tenzin replied. It was just like his usual honorable self, Asami thought, always being respectful of people’s privacy. Usually she admired it, but at the moment it was a tad frustrating. Every inch of her was clamoring to know more, to hear all the details of Korra’s life. Especially things like this, which clearly had a far greater impact on Korra than Asami had guessed. 

“I think that would be a good conversation for you two to have,” Tenzin continued. “From what I understand, Korra hasn’t really opened up to _anyone_ about her military experience, and it’s not good for her. Keeping all that bottled up is creating a lot of negative energy, probably even blocking her chi.”

“Hm,” Asami murmured in reply. Tenzin’s culture was very spiritual, although Asami herself wasn’t sure how much she believed about energy and chi paths. Tenzin was the wisest person she knew, however, and he was usually right about these sorts of things. And of course, there was the matter of Korra’s military discharge… 

“Tenzin, do you think this has something to do with… with when she was…”   
Asami couldn’t bring herself to say the words.

“Yes Asami. I think this has a lot to do with the three years she was paralyzed,” Tenzin said gravely.

The line went silent for a moment. 

Asami grappled with her thoughts, trying to come up with some sort of response. Those three years had undoubtedly been the hardest years of Korra’s life, but they’d been the hardest years of Asami’s as well. 

She’d remember that moment for the rest of her life. The call from Tenzin to tell her that Korra was on her way home from the military brought excitement bubbling up in her chest like she’d never felt before.

Until two seconds later when her blood ran cold with fear.

Tenzin recounted how Korra had been on a routine mission when she was captured by a terrorist group who called themself the Red Lotus. How it took a day for them to find her, to finally rescue her. How even in her weakened state, she was instrumental in finally taking the Red Lotus down. 

Torture, the doctors said. Aside from numerous smaller injuries, they found some sort of poison in Korra’s bloodstream.

The effects? Well, Korra had defied expectations all her life- a bit of poison wasn’t about to paralyze her for good. She learned how to walk all over again, and run, and jump, and fight. Physically, Korra was in better shape now than she’d ever been. 

But mentally, now that was the question.

“Tenzin, what exactly happened in those three years when she was recovering?” Asami asked, voice small.

“I don’t know any better than you,” Tenzin replied. “My mother wouldn’t tell me much, but whether she was discouraged or just attempting to keep Korra’s privacy, I’m not sure.”

Asami sighed, rubbing her temples.   
They’d all sent frequent letters to Korra while she was away at the South Pole. Bolin, Mako, Tenzin and his family. Asami was the only one to ever get a response. It was brief, and tried to keep a light tone, but Asami knew Korra well enough to tell that she was in a very dark place. 

And then Korra came back. She looked so much happier, so much stronger, with a new haircut of all things. Asami just assumed she was better, they all did. Even when there were hints of the past, no one was willing to voluntarily broach the subject. Their friendships were as strong as ever, so was there really any more to it than that?

“Asami, how did you react when Korra was upset earlier? What did you say?”

Asami bit her lip. “Well, I probably didn’t handle it as gracefully as you would’ve,” she admitted. “I- I think I said pretty much the same thing I said to you. ‘You’ve gone through a lot but it’s just a broken ankle. You’re super strong, I know you can get through this.’ That sort of thing.”  
She paused, sighing. “That really sounds bad now, doesn’t it. I mean, I had no idea all this stuff from the past was part of the problem… I guess I was confused at how upset she was. If I had realized…”

“You probably would have made it worse,” Tenzin cut in. Asami blanched. “I’m not trying to insult you, Asami. But you know Korra, she doesn’t do well with mentions of the past. She’d prefer to simply beat it away with a stick, or slice it down in combat.”

His voice had a slightly disapproving edge to it, and Asami nearly chuckled. As Korra’s spiritual counselor (whatever that was, Asami thought privately), Tenzin had expressed frustration at Korra’s lack of mental discipline on numerous occasions. But Asami had come to love Korra’s hotheaded, often rash behavior. There was a certain boldness to Korra that Asami longed to possess.

“I’m aware that you were the only one Korra wrote back to while she was in recovery,” Tenzin continued, drawing Asami out of her thoughts. “ I believe if anyone can help Korra through whatever she’s dealing with, it’s you. The two of you have a… special bond.”

“Thank you, Tenzin,” she responded, matching his somber tone. “But… what can I do to help? Now that she’s opened up to me, where do I go next?”

“I don’t know,” he responded. “Just don’t get frustrated with her- she rarely shows her emotion like that even to people she trusts. I think acting the same way you always do is the best thing to do for right now. You know how Korra is, if she feels like people are pitying her she’ll get defensive.”

“Yeah,” Asami agreed. “You’re right. Thanks for the advice Tenzin, I really appreciate it.”

“Anytime.”

* * * *

Asami was standing in the same position, back against the wall, deep in thought when Nurse Judi came bustling up to her. 

“Asami, just the person I wanted to talk to,” said the nurse, wasting no time with pleasantries. “I don’t want to overwhelm you, but there’s a few things we need to talk about regarding Korra’s surgery.”

“Is there a problem?” Asami asked, snapping to attention. “If it’s money, I can take care of it, I’ve-”

Judi cut her off. “No, money’s not a problem. It’s about after the surgery. What is Korra’s living situation like?”

“Well,” said Asami, taken aback. She found the question quite rude. “First of all, I’m pretty sure the hospital has no business snooping around about their patients’ homes, but I’m pleased to inform you that Korra lives in a perfectly comfortable apartment with-”

“Oh, I’m sorry, I should’ve clarified,” the nurse said, chuckling. “I don’t mean to pry about how nice her home is, I just meant for after the surgery. She’ll have a harder time getting around for a little while. Does her apartment have a working elevator? Unless she’s on the ground floor… ”

Asami blushed, realizing her mistake. “Oh, I shouldn’t have taken that the wrong way,” she apologized. “Just, you know… stressed.” Nurse Judi nodded kindly. “About an elevator- her building is under renovation right now, so there’s no elevator. And well, she’s on the fourth floor. Oh, and there’s also Naga.” 

“Naga?” the nurse asked blankly.

“That’s her dog- she’s a Newfoundland.”

The nurse pursed her lips. “Well, we’ll have to make some arrangements here. Does she have any relatives that live close by who she can stay with for a few days?”

“No, both of her parents live in the South Pole.” Asami replied. “And I think all of her family is there as well.”

“Well in that case, it might be best if Korra were to move in with someone else temporarily. Just for the first week or so. Oh, and the dog will have to go to a friend or a kennel.”

“Absolutely not,” said Asami. “Naga is extremely well trained- she’s a former service dog who served in the military with Korra. They’ve never spent more than a day apart. And I assure you, Korra poses more of a danger to herself than Naga does.”

“All… alright then,” said Judi, relenting. 

“And as for the house, she’ll stay with me,” added Asami firmly. “I’ve got a spare bedroom on the ground floor, and plenty of space to make her comfortable. Plus it’s close to the hospital and to the school where we both work.”

“That sounds perfect,” said the nurse. “Really dear, thank you. You have no idea how many people, especially adults, we get in here that don’t have a single person willing to take care of them.”

“I think it’s a little different with Korra,” answered Asami with a chuckle. She thought of Tenzin, and Bolin, and Mako, and even Opal, knowing any one of them would drop everything and run to help Korra. It was simple. If the situation were reversed, they knew in a heartbeat that Korra would do the same for them. 

* * * *

“Comfortable?” asked Asami, adjusting a pillow behind Korra’s back. She nodded wordlessly. Mako, Bolin, and Opal had gone down to the car, but Asami was lingering behind, loath to leave her friend. She could tell Korra was starting to get nervous again. 

“I’ll come see you before surgery tomorrow, if I can get myself out of meetings.”

“Thank you, but ‘Sami, that’s not necessary.”

“Oh, yes it is! Besides, the people I’m meeting with are a bunch of ignorant dunderheads. I’ll take any excuse I can to get rid of them.” Asami was rewarded by a chuckle from Korra.

“Just as long as you’re here afterward… when I wake up,” Korra replied. She blushed deeply, realizing how that sounded. 

“Well, I have to be, don’t I?” Asami added, completely missing Korra’s embarrassment. “You’re coming with me.”

“Coming… coming with you? Where?”

_Shit._ Asami thought. _You forgot to ask her. Stupid, tactless, idiot, you are._

“Um, well,” she stuttered, clearing her throat. “Nurse Judi came by earlier and since your apartment doesn’t have an elevator right now and you don’t have any family close by and someone needs to take care of you for a few days I kinda sorta just toldheryouwouldstaywithme.”

“‘Sami, I- hold on, what was that last bit?” Korra asked, her eyebrows furrowed in an adorable expression of confusion.

Asami took a deep breath. “I uh… told Nurse Judi you would stay with me,” she whispered, cringing. “I’m sorry, I’m sorry, I just wanted to help, and I know I should’ve asked you about it first but she asked and I was there and it kinda just… came out.”

“Whoa there, calm down,” Korra said, chuckling. “I would love nothing more than to stay with you for a few days.” 

Realizing her attempt to be comforting had gone a little overkill, Korra quickly backpedalled. “I mean, stay with you because of, um, surgery, and because we’re friends, really good friends, totally, not because we’re anything more than… you know what, I’m just gonna shut up now,” Korra trailed off, blushing furiously.

Asami giggled at Korra’s flustered state, relieved that her mistake was forgiven.   
She found herself crossing the room in two quick strides, and before she knew it she was wrapping Korra into a warm embrace. Korra squeezed back, and Asami tried to convey all her support and love for Korra into the gesture, as if she could give Korra some of her strength just by hugging her as tightly as possible. _Say something!_ her brain screamed. _Tell her you’re sorry about her past, and you know how hard it was for her!_

In her heart though, she knew that was a terrible idea. _Another time,_ she told herself. _When Korra’s ready, I’ll bring it up._

“I’ve gotta go drive everyone home,” Asami said finally, pushing gently away from Korra. “But I promise I’ll come back in the morning. Try to get some sleep tonight, okay?”

_I love you,_ her emerald eyes said as they locked with Korra’s blue ones. 

And perhaps Asami imagined it, but it seemed like Korra’s eyes were saying _I love you_ right back.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And that's it! This was definitely more of an angsty chapter than usual, but I tried to add a little gay panic in there at the end for a treat 
> 
> The next chapter will feature some more angst as Korra and Asami finally have that conversation about the past >:)   
> But then after that I promise it's back to the fluff!
> 
> Thank you all so much for the love and support, it really brightens my day.  
> As always, kudos and comments appreciated.
> 
> -H
> 
> P.S. I was listening to some tlok soundtrack music while working on this and I legitimately cried.... it's so good


	6. Chapter 6

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here we go again! I'm honestly surprised to be updating again so quickly, but I was super excited to work on this chapter.
> 
> It's kind of a rough one, so be prepared. 
> 
> Warning: mentions of past abuse, PTSD, war/military stuff 
> 
> Pardon any medical inaccuracies, once again I am not a doctor
> 
> Enjoy!

Korra blinked, trying to get the fuzzy shapes above her to focus. She could see a couple, consisting of a tall, bald figure she assumed was Tenzin, and a shorter figure who could only be his wife, Pema. A familiar flowery scent caught her nose, and she thought _Asami_. Craning her neck, she could see the dark-haired woman standing at the side of her bed, gently holding her hand. The light in the room seemed to filter in behind her, creating a halo effect that illuminated her pale skin and emerald eyes. 

“‘Sami,” she said blearily, voice thick with sleep. “You’re beautiful.”

Asami made a choking noise somewhere between a gasp and a chuckle, covering her mouth in surprise.

“She’s still pretty out of it from the pain meds,” Korra heard a voice say. “But we’ve just gotta observe her for a few minutes while you take care of some paperwork and then she’ll be good to go. I’d expect her to sleep all day once you get home- the medication will have worn off by the time she wakes up, though, so you’ll want to pick up her prescription before then.”

“Will she be in a lot of pain?” asked Asami, concern evident in her voice. Korra wanted to reassure her that, no, she felt fine, but her head felt a little strange and she couldn’t quite find the words. 

“A decent amount,” said the nurse. “But she seems like one tough cookie.”

“You can say that again,” came Pema’s warm voice. “Tenzin, honey, do you wanna take care of the forms for us?” He nodded in agreement, leaving to go fill out paperwork with the nurse.

“Do you think she meant that?” Asami asked the woman.

Pema chuckled. “About you being beautiful? Honey, I think you need to take a good look in the mirror. You’re downright gorgeous!” 

Asami blushed deeply, suddenly hyper-aware of her reflection in the glass door. She felt a sudden pressure on her hand, and looked down to realize Korra was squeezing it tightly, as if in agreement with Pema’s words. 

“Can we get some foooood,” Korra moaned suddenly. “I’m hungryyy!”

“Already one step ahead of ya,” said Pema. “I made your favorite noodles- there’s a big container waiting in the car.”

“Mmmmmm, noodles,” Korra mumbled, misty-eyed and licking her lips. “Yummy squiggles.”

Asami giggled. “Wow, she’s really out of it!” Just then, her phone buzzed, and she pulled it out of her coat pocket.

_Opal: how’s our favorite girl?  
Bolin: how high is she? send me a video mwahaha  
Mako: Bo, play nice  
Asami: she’s good, out of surgery  
Bolin: you didn’t answer my question!!  
Asami: yeah she’s pretty high  
just teared up over Pema’s noodles  
Mako: Tell her I say hi  
Opal: ooh! me too!  
Bolin: still waiting for the vid  
Mako: Come on bro, would Korra do that to you  
Bolin: u shittin me?  
duh  
she totally would  
Asami: funny, but no can do  
Korra would whup my ass if she found out  
Opal: when can we come visit?  
Asami: Doctor says she’ll sleep the rest of the day  
I’ll txt u in the morning_

“That’ll be the gang, won’t it,” said Pema, gesturing to Asami’s rapidly pinging phone. 

“Yeah, sorry,” she responded. “Just letting them know Korra’s awake.”

“You don’t have to apologize. In fact, tell them all I say hi!”

Asami smiled, “Will do.”

The group made it to Asami’s house without too much trouble. They pulled into the gravel driveway, Tenzin jumping immediately out to go help Korra. When he reached the backseat, he found her passed out, drool spilling out of the corner of her mouth. Chuckling to himself, he scooped her up gently and made his way along the paved path to Asami’s front door. She was holding it open for him, and couldn’t help but smile at how sweet Korra looked curled up in his arms. 

Pema followed the two in, an enormous container of homemade noodles in hand. 

“Please dear, don’t hesitate to call if you need anything,” she said, setting it down on the counter in the kitchen. Asami smiled gratefully as she directed Tenzin to the downstairs bedroom. 

“Thanks Pema, but I think I should be able to handle it. Honestly, I’ll probably take a nap myself.”

“Call me the minute Korra wakes up, okay? I’ll go and pick up her prescription and drop it off later,” Pema said, as Tenzin emerged from the bedroom to place a hand on his wife’s shoulder. Asami was struck by how perfect they looked together, like they were two pieces of the same puzzle. 

“Oh, and Asami? I’ve got a sub to cover Korra’s classes on Monday, but I asked someone to cover for you too. I figured you could both use a day,” Tenzin told her. 

She surprised them both, and herself, by rushing forward into a hug.

“You guys are amazing,” she said in a muffled voice. “Thank you- for everything.”

* * * *

When Korra woke up for the second time, it was pitch black, and she didn’t know where she was. Feeling pure panic rush through her veins, she sat bolt upright, looking around wildly. She yelped in pain as her injured ankle slid off the bed, throbbing violently.

“Korra?” mumbled a sleepy voice from somewhere to her left. “‘S tha’ you?” A lamp flicked on, and both women were momentarily blinded.

By the lamp’s dim glow, Asami could see Korra sitting upright in bed, stiff as a board with her chest heaving. Her eyes were wide with fear, but as she caught sight of Asami, she visibly relaxed.

“Where- where are we?” she croaked, coughing once to clear her throat. 

“In my house,” said Asami, approaching carefully, “in the downstairs bedroom.” Korra took another look around and realized that she did, in fact, somewhat recognize her surroundings. She had only ever seen the guestroom at a glance; usually spending time in the living room when she was at Asami’s. 

She could see, dimly illuminated by the lamp, a closet off to one side of the bed she was on, and a dark wooden dresser on the other. Her bed was in the center of the room, with a mahogany headboard against the wall. On the opposite side of the room was a bay window, with a small nest of pillows and blankets on the wide seat. 

“Here, shhhh, lie down,” said Asami, gently pushing Korra down before she had a chance to protest. Korra seemed to slowly realize that she was safe, and she relaxed down onto the bed, tension draining out of her. She moaned as her sore and aching muscles made themselves known. 

“You okay?” asked Asami, lifting her friend’s broken ankle from where it was dangling off the side of the bed and gently placing it on top of a plump pillow. 

Korra clenched her fists as the motion deepened the throbbing in her ankle. “Fine,” she hissed through her teeth. “What time is it? Hell, what day is it?”

“About ten at night,” answered Asami, looking over at the illuminated clock on the dresser. “So still Saturday. You cold?” she asked, moving to pull a blanket up over Korra’s chest.

“Hot, actually,” she answered, grinning ruefully. “I could use a nice cold shower right about now.” 

“Well, there’s not much I can do about that,” said Asami. “Since you’re not supposed to get your splint wet. But I can try to get a breeze going.” She crossed the room and eased open the large bay window, knocking a few pillows to the floor. 

“‘Sami, were you sleeping on the window seat?” Korra asked.

“Well… yes,” she answered, blushing. “I wanted to be close by in case you needed something when you woke up. Besides, it’s pretty comfy,” she said, sitting down and gazing out into the yard. 

Korra had to admit, the sight of the lawn bathed in moonlight was gorgeous. A gentle breeze stirred the curtains, and the pale shapes of trees in the yard were wreathed in a low fog. The entire scene had a deep blue tinge over it, as if they were in some strange, mystical land. 

Korra rolled over and propped herself up on an elbow, watching her friend. Asami looked breathtaking, silhouetted against the curtains, and Korra felt a twinge of embarrassment as she recalled having a similar thought earlier in the hospital. What she didn’t realize was that her earlier, heavily medicated self, had seen fit to voice that thought aloud.  
Trying to relax, she wiggled around in bed with a wince, sending pain shooting up her ankle. Breath catching in her already dry throat, Korra coughed fitfully. The movement brought Asami out of her thoughts, and she shot to Korra’s rescue.

“Hang on, I’ll get you some water,” she said, rushing out the door. Korra nodded, panting slightly from her coughing fit. She slumped back against the pillow, holding in a moan at the sharp throbbing in her ankle.

“Here,” Asami said, returning with a glass of water. She helped Korra sit up, handing her the glass. Trying not to pay too much attention to Korra’s _highly_ defined back muscles pressing into her arm, Asami concentrating on watching her gulp down the water. _Whoops, not any better,_ she thought, hastily fixing her eyes on a lamp across the room instead. _Focus, Asami, Korra needs you right now._

“You feeling okay?” Asami asked. “Your pain meds have probably worn off by now, huh?”

“Hah! Who needs meds? I feel like a million bucks,” Korra said with a strained smile. She handed the empty glass back to Asami, who set it on the bedside table. 

Asami laughed. “Oh, don’t give me any of that. You just came out of surgery, for Raava’s sakes.” Korra stayed silent, not wanting to admit to her pain. 

“Fine then,” Asami mock huffed. “I guess you don’t need any of _these_ ,” she said tauntingly, dangling what was unmistakably a pill bottle out of the window. 

“Wait!” Korra cried. “Wait, are those more pain meds?”

“Maybe,” said Asami with a smirk. “And you can have ‘em on one condition.”

Korra groaned, sensing what was coming next.

“You let me _help_ you,” Asami said, suddenly serious. “Let me take care of you, for once. At least while you’re staying here with me.”

“‘Sami that’s… really sweet of you. Really,” Korra sighed, seeing the doubt in Asami’s eyes. It was an innocent enough request, but Korra was tired of people pitying her. 

“But?” Asami said.

“But really, I’ll be okay. I’ll be back on my feet in no time, and… and I’ll be out of your hair, and you can go back to your life and I’ll take care of myself. Like always,” Korra added, looking down. 

Her hands were knotted up in the material of the sheets, which she hadn’t realized she was twisting. It was a nervous habit, keeping her hands busy.

“Oh, Korra…” Asami whispered, and it was so heartbreakingly soft it made Korra’s head snap up. Asami’s eyes were wide, pooling with unshed tears, and with a start Korra realized she was about to cry. _Was that- did I do that?_ she wondered.

“I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to… ‘Sami why are you crying?” she asked.

“You really don’t understand, do you?” Asami asked incredulously.

“Understand what? I’m not being unreasonable, you know. If anything, I’m doing you a favor!” Korra responded. “I’m done with being a burden, and I’m done with people pitying me! I can take care of myself, end of story!” 

“You know, Tenzin warned me you’d react like this,” Asami continued, sniffing. There was a dangerous edge to her words that left Korra uneasy. “But somehow, I thought you’d realize that I’m _not_ trying to pity you here. I’m trying to _help_ , because that’s what friends do for each other. And good friends actually accept that help, whether they need it or not. But nooo, Korra’s too tough for that. Korra doesn’t need anyone else to help her, she doesn’t need to accept gestures of kindness from people, and when she disappears for years without a trace she doesn’t feel the need to _fucking write back_.” Asami paused, breathless, chest heaving with emotion. Something clicked in Korra’s brain, and she realized Asami wasn’t talking about her broken ankle anymore.

“Three years, Korra. Three years. I wrote you letters, long ones, _every single week_ for three years, and what do I get back? One measly little paragraph. Just one. But, you know, I really shouldn’t be the one complaining here. Mako? Tenzin? Sweet Bolin, who drew you pictures? What did any of them get? Oh that’s right. Absolutely _nothing_. Not _one single word _. When are you going to realize that friendships have two sides, Korra? If you want this to work you have to fucking _let us in._ ”__

__“ _Tenzin warned you?_ ” Korra spat. She drew back against the headboard like a wounded animal, trying to put as much distance between her and Asami as possible. “You were talking to _Tenzin_? About _me_? Behind my back?”_ _

__Asami stopped dead, realizing her mistake._ _

__“You know, that’s low, Asami. Especially for you. Out of all of my friends, I thought you were the closest. I _trusted_ you.” Korra’s voice was low, forceful, but where Asami expected anger there was only hollowness. “You wanna know why I didn’t write back?” She paused, taking a deep gulp of air. “Because for three fucking years I couldn’t eat, couldn’t sleep, could barely walk. I had to reteach myself how to live, and this whole time my friends are off fighting in a war that I should’ve ended. I should’ve been there, Asami. I should’ve done more, recovered faster… everything that happened was my fault. And everyone kept saying it was all fine, that I could take my time recovering, that it was all under control. You know how that made me feel? Like I was useless. No one needed me anymore. And I wanted to reply so badly, I really did. But what was there to say? Every time I picked up my pen all I could think about was how great all of you were doing without me. And part of me thought… well, maybe they don’t need me anymore. Maybe they don’t want me back. It was just… better that way.”_ _

__Korra fell silent, running a listless hand through her hair. She wasn’t crying- far from it actually. Her eyes were empty and dim, their usual sparkling light grown cold._ _

__Asami on the other hand, looked like she was experiencing enough emotion for both of them. Her mouth was open, trying to form words, but all that came out was a sob._ _

__“Korra, don’t you believe that for _one second,_ ” she said fiercely, swiping a hand across her face to get rid of the tears. “Us not wanting you? Not needing you? That’s- it’s downright ridiculous! Korra, I don’t- what can- how do I convince you that you’re _not_ worthless?”_ _

__“I’d like to be alone,” Korra said, voice small._ _

__“I-” Asami reached toward Korra’s shoulder with a slender hand, opening her mouth to say more._ _

__“ _Please_ ,” Korra added, desperation coloring her tone. _ _

__That was enough. Asami drew back her hand, sorrow in her eyes as she turned to leave. When she was in the doorway, she paused._ _

__“I’ll be close by if you need anything,” she said tonelessly, her back to Korra._ _

__It wasn’t until her soft footsteps vanished around the corner that Korra started to cry.  
Somewhere inside her chest, a dam broke, and a flood of tears came rushing out. Huge sobs wracked her body, although she tried desperately to choke them down. Korra buried her face in the pillow, muffling the sounds so Asami wouldn’t hear. It wasn’t that she didn’t want Asami’s comfort, far from it actually. But it had been drummed into her head from a young age that tears meant weakness, and weakness wasn’t something you showed to others. Whether you wanted to or not._ _

__Although at this point it wasn’t so much a _want_ as a _need_. She needed it so bad that it hurt. She needed a comforting presence, a pair of warm arms, a shoulder to empty her heart onto. _ _

__She needed Asami._ _

__And Asami was exactly the person she’d just driven away._ _

__If Korra strained her ears past the sound of her own sobbing, she could hear Asami rattling around in the kitchen. And if she strained her eyes through the tears she could see a warm glow coming from the kitchen._ _

__There was a rattle, a muffled exclamation, and then the light clicked off. Korra waited with bated breath, choking back the occasional hiccup, as she listened to the sounds of footsteps coming back down the hall._ _

__They passed her door without pause, and the dam broke all over again. Pressing her face into the pillow, Korra let everything in her chest pour out._ _

__She was so exhausted that she didn’t notice when, twenty minutes later, the footsteps came back. She didn’t notice when they came right up next to the bed. She didn’t notice when her broken ankle was gently lifted on top of a pillow. And she definitely didn’t notice when the slender figure slipped into bed beside her._ _

__* * * *_ _

__Korra’s eyes blinked open. She peered owlishly around for a moment, trying to get her bearings. She was still in the bed in Asami’s guestroom, the bedside lamp dimly illuminating her surroundings. It must still be night; the lamp provided the only light in the room. So what had woken her up?_ _

__Then it hit her._ _

__Asami was _in the bed._ __

__In the bed _with her._ _ _

__Not only that, but Asami was _rubbing her back_. Korra could feel her hand going in soothing circles, starting at her hips and coming all the way up by her neck. She blinked, hard, and  
considered pinching herself to see if it was a dream. She looked up with a glazed expression to see Asami next to her, one hand holding a book open on her lap and the other on Korra’s back. A small sound escaped from her throat, alerting Asami to the fact that she was awake. _ _

__“How are you feeling?” Asami asked, hastily removing her hand from Korra’s back. She missed its warmth immediately._ _

__Korra considered lying, but only for a second. “Like shit,” she mumbled into the pillow. It was true; her eyes and throat were puffy from crying, and her whole body ached. Not to mention her ankle- it seemed the throbbing had only gotten worse since she was last awake._ _

__But aside from the physical aspect, Korra felt… better. She’d expected to feel empty after pouring her heart out like that, but it left her feeling strangely light, and warm._ _

__Korra took a deep breath, preparing to broach the subject of their fight, but Asami beat her to it._ _

__“Korra… I’m sorry,” she said, closing her book and fixing her full attention on Korra. “I messed up. I got caught up in the heat of the moment, and I didn’t bother thinking about it from your perspective, and I said a lot of things I’ll probably regret for a very long time. I’m not gonna try to make excuses for any of that, because it was wrong, but… I hope you understand where I’m coming from, even the tiniest bit. I… I hope you’ll be able to forgive me. Someday.”_ _

__“I do forgive you,” Korra heard herself say, startling herself as much asAsami. Forgiveness didn’t usually come easy to Korra, whether it be directed at herself or others._ _

__But she supposed it was easier to forgive when it was someone else admitting they were wrong._ _

__“Well… I wasn’t expecting that. Not because I think badly of you!” Asami amended hastily. “I just… well, Korra, you’re kind of known to hold grudges.”_ _

__Korra chuckled at that. “I can’t argue with that one,” she said. “Yeah, it’s… something I’ve been working on.”_ _

__“That’s nice,” Asami hummed, reaching out hesitantly to stroke Korra’s back again. Korra wiggled around, trying to get comfortable, but had to bite down on a yelp as her ankle protested the movement._ _

__“Oh, Korra, I’m so sorry! I was supposed to get you your meds earlier, I forgot- I’ll be right back,” Asami called, practically vaulting off the bed to retrieve Korra’s medication.  
By the time she was back with the bottle and a glass of water, Korra had eased herself into a seated position against the headboard. _ _

__“Thanks ‘Sami,” she said, swallowing the pill gratefully. “What time is it?”_ _

__Asami squinted across the room to the illuminated clock on the nightstand. “No clue,” she said, giving up. “I took my contacts out earlier. But it was only eleven when I came back in here, and you woke up pretty soon after.”_ _

__“Huh,” Korra responded. “Feels a lot later.” Asami murmured in agreement, retrieving her book and moving as if to return to the window seat._ _

__“You can… stay here if you want,” Korra said softly. “I don’t mind.” And by _I don’t mind_ she meant _please, Asami, stay.__ _

__As though she could read the unspoken words in Korra’s eyes, Asami settled back down on the bed next to Korra, trying not to jostle it. She opened her book again, intending to let Korra have a quiet moment. _She knows me so well_ , Korra thought absentmindedly. _Better than I know myself, maybe. All that time when I was away, I thought my friends didn’t miss me, didn’t care, but…_ _ _

__Korra didn’t notice the heaving sigh she let out until Asami spoke._ _

__“Wanna talk about it?” she asked gently._ _

__“That’s okay, just… thinking,” Korra said, sighing again.  
The moment stretched on until finally she couldn’t help but voice her thoughts aloud. _ _

__“How much do you know about PTSD?” Korra asked quietly._ _

__Asami shut her book, once again fixing her full attention on Korra. “Not much.”_ _

__“Yeah… me neither.” Korra had her eyes fixed on the ceiling, hands absentmindedly twisting the fabric of her shirt. “Until I _had_ it.”_ _

__“Korra…” Asami let her voice trail off. Korra was thankful- if anyone interrupted she was pretty sure she’d start crying._ _

__“It’s… not what people think it is,” she said, still addressing the ceiling rather than Asami. “Movies and stuff, you know, they make it seem like it’s more predictable. Like you have a panic attack whenever someone says the word ‘war’ or ‘trauma’ or something, but then you’re fine the rest of the time. And then the person goes to a cemetery or a memorial or something and suddenly yay, they’ve accepted the past, their trauma is fixed.”_ _

__“Nothing’s that simple,” Asami murmured._ _

__“Yeah,” Korra said, grinning ruefully. “If only it were.” She paused, looking for the right words._ _

__“It’s… pretty rough to be honest. There’ll be days where everything seems to be working again, where you feel like you did before. You feel _good_. And then for no reason at all, your progress comes crashing back down around you. It’ll be for the strangest reasons too, like I had a panic attack once when Katara tried to hand me a hairbrush.”_ _

__“Korra, you don’t have to tell me this,” Asami said. “Don’t force yourself to share if you’re not comfortable.”_ _

__“I’ve been meaning to for a while,” Korra sighed. “Part of the baggage that comes with it is feeling like a burden, though, and it just never felt like the right time. Or place. Or person. Why bring it up, you know, if everyone’s happy?”_ _

__“I’ll _always_ be willing to listen.”_ _

__“I mean, I never really know what to say. What _do_ you say, really? 'I have crippling depression and horrible nightmares, yay'”_ _

__“Just tell me some stuff about it. What was your lowest point? Your highest? A breakthrough you made? Treat it like… if you had been comfortable enough to write letters to me. What would you have said?”_ _

__Korra looked up at Asami, sheer appreciation written all over her face._ _

__“You’re really good at this, you know.”_ _

__“Good at what?”_ _

__“Dealing with… this. With me. All the mental health shit.”_ _

__“I know a bit from experience,” Asami said, eyes darkening momentarily. “But that’s for another time.”_ _

__“Well, what was it you asked? Lowest point?” Korra barely had to think about it. “The first three weeks after I left home. It was before I went to see Katara- I kept just hoping maybe it would all go away. I actually don’t remember much… I wasn’t eating. Or sleeping- there were nightmares.”_ _

__“About what?”_ _

__“The Red Lotus. Zaheer, he was the leader, was the one who poisoned me. Well, it was technically his acolytes, but he stood there and watched as they forced it down my throat. Sorry, sorry!” Korra cried, noticing silent tears streaming down Asami’s face. “I’m sorry, I know it’s really bad, I’ll stop.”_ _

__Asami took a deep, shuddering breath. “No, don’t. You’re just…. I keep getting reminded of how _strong_ you are. If it had been me, I don’t think I could’ve-”_ _

__“Don’t think that way,” Korra said, gently cutting her off. “Katara’s rule number one. No what ifs. We don’t get to think about what could’ve or what might’ve been. Only what is, and how we can move forward.”_ _

__“That’s really wise.”_ _

__“Yeah, I owe a lot to Katara. She never lost her cool, not once. And I said some pretty horrible things to her.” Guilt clawed its way up Korra’s throat, and she found herself consumed with regret._ _

__“Hey, snap out of it,” Asami said, tapping her forehead softly. “You weren’t yourself. Katara knows that.”_ _

__“Thanks,” Korra murmured. “I should thank her, though, I don’t know if I ever did. Properly, anyway. I mean, she’s the one who taught me to walk again, to fight. More than that though, she taught me how to function again. How to pick up the pieces and move on. And believe me, there were a lot of pieces,” she added, chuckling slightly._ _

__A soft smile tugged on the corner of Asami’s mouth, and Korra looked up at it admiringly._ _

__“I remember, one time,” Korra said. “I wasn’t feeling angry that day, just kind of lost. Honestly, those days were worse. You just felt empty, and fragile, like you were barely a person anymore.” She paused, collecting her thoughts. “Anyway, I asked Katara ‘what am I going to find, if I get through this?’ And she said ‘I don’t know, but won’t it be interesting to find out?’”_ _

__“I’ve always found that quote really nice,” Korra continued. “She wasn’t making any empty promises, you know? She wasn’t guaranteeing that I’d be okay again. And you’d think that was discouraging…. but it was actually comforting, somehow.”_ _

__“I can see that,” Asami said, sounding as if her thoughts were a million miles away. She glanced down at Korra, who was still looking up at the ceiling. She’d relaxed, though, her hands were no longer twisting the fabric of her shirt. “It’s like… there’s no expectations. No one’s telling you you have to get better or you have to feel a certain way. It’s just… up to you.”_ _

__“That’s a nice way of explaining it,” Korra said, finally turning to look at Asami. “Wow, you do understand this more than I thought. You understand… me.”_ _

__“Oh, far from it,” Asami chuckled. “That fight earlier stands testament to that.”_ _

__“Psh, it wasn’t a fight. It was barely an argument!”_ _

__“If I recall correctly, I yelled at you for several minutes about how you didn’t _answer my letters_. As if you didn’t have enough to deal with already. Guess I’m more petty than I thought.”_ _

__“Eh, don’t beat yourself up about it,” Korra said. “We never really addressed the situation when I came back, there was bound to be some lingering feelings. And they got to simmer for a couple years.”_ _

__“Yeah.”_ _

__“Was it hard for you too? Those three years?” Korra’s tone was hopeful. Of course she didn’t want her friend to have suffered, but it meant Asami really had missed her. Cared about her, even._ _

__“The hardest of my life,” Asami whispered. Korra was taken aback by the pain in her voice._ _

__“And don’t even think about apologizing,” Asami added. “You don’t get to take the blame for this. It was all the Red Lotus. But I’d be lying if I said I was okay with it.”_ _

__“You really missed me?”_ _

__“So much it hurt. I’m not sure if you understand, Korra, but I don’t have many friends. And I don’t have a family anymore, not really. You, Mako, Bolin… you are my family now, and it broke my heart to see you suffering. It was even worse that you were so far away, and I couldn’t do anything to help.”_ _

__“I’m-” Korra was cut off by a finger over her lips._ _

__“I told you, don’t apologize. It wasn’t your fault.”_ _

__“Well, I still feel bad. You should know this though… you helped _a lot_. More than I know how to put into words. The letters were great- they were like having a piece of you guys with me. Even if I didn’t get to actually talk to you or see you.”_ _

__“That was the intention,” Asami said._ _

__“Yours were the best, ‘Sami. Everyone else was a little… weird. Like you could tell they were trying to gloss over stuff that would upset me. It was just all a bit _forced_... especially Mako. I love ‘im.. but...” _ _

__“Yeah, that’s Mako for you,” Asami agreed. “Awkward as ever.”_ _

__“Yeah, well, he tries,” Korra chuckled. “But like I was saying, yours were the best. You didn’t try to keep stuff from me, you were honest. It was like we were having a real conversation. Most of all though, they made me feel… I dunno, wanted. Like you wanted me back.”_ _

__“Of course I did. It was so weird without you, Korra. It was like a piece of our group was just… gone. A really important piece,” Asami said._ _

__She reached a tentative hand out to rest on top of Korra’s, which were folded over her stomach. Korra responded by wrapping Asami’s slender hand in both of hers, entwining their fingers._ _

__“I’m glad to be back,” Korra said, absentmindedly stroking her thumb against the back of Asami’s hand._ _

__“And we’re- _I’m_ so glad to have you back.”_ _

__They stayed like that in silence for a while, the only source of light coming from the small bedside lamp. It took a moment for Korra to realize she was humming softly. She felt a way she hadn’t felt in a long time._ _

__Content._ _

__“This was a conversation we probably should’ve had a while ago,” Asami said, breaking the silence._ _

__“It should’ve been the day I got back. I shouldn’t have put it off,” Korra responded._ _

__“I don’t think we were ready for it yet, though.”_ _

__“Probably not.”_ _

__“Honestly we still probably wouldn’t have had it if I hadn’t gone and broken my ankle,” Korra pointed out. “I guess we have Tahno to thank for this.”_ _

__“Well, I wouldn’t go _that_ far,” Asami chuckled. “But hey, everything happens for a reason, huh?”_ _

__“Everything happens for a reason.”_ _

__Korra sighed again, but this time it wasn’t from sadness.  
She was really, truly, undeniably happy._ _

__And for the first time in years, she felt like maybe it would actually stay that way._ _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So there you have it! Now that we've gotten all the mental health shit out of the way, we can move on to relationship fluff!
> 
> Jokes aside, though, I think this was a really important chapter. In the show Korra showed up again after three years and everyone was immediately launched back into crazy plot stuff. I think they definitely could have spent more time showing how the relationship dynamics changed, especially between Korra and Asami. 
> 
> So this is basically my take (in the AU, obviously) of how that conversation might have gone down.
> 
> Anyway, hope you guys liked it, and I promise a confession is coming soon (I won't say who tho ;)
> 
> As always, kudos and comments appreciated!
> 
> -H


	7. Chapter 7

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And I'm back again! I really wanted to get this chapter posted yesterday but I kind of ran out of time. Anyways, it's here now!
> 
> I just wanted to say a HUGE thank you for 200 kudos! This is my first ever fic (wow I sound like a broken record) and it's insane to me that so many people have read and enjoyed it. Thanks guys!
> 
> Without further ado, here's chapter 7  
> Enjoy!

“Hello? Anyone home?”

“Maybe you should call them one more time. Try the home phone?” Bolin took no notice of Opal’s suggestion, instead continuing his pounding on the door.

“Or I can do it,” grumbled Opal, extracting her phone from her pocket with some difficulty due to the large brown bag balancing in her arms.

Her phone rang and rang, but no one picked up. 

“Any luck?” asked Bolin, and she shook her head. She heard a beep from the answering machine, and decided to leave a message.

* * * *

 _Brrrring, brrring, brrring!_

Asami’s eyes blinked blearily as the sound of the phone ringing pierced through a fog of sleep. As she was struggling to figure out what was happening, she heard a familiar voice on the answering machine

“Hi? Hey, it’s Opal- where are you guys? We’ve been calling all morning, we finally decided just to stop by… anyway, if you get this message-”

Asami didn’t wait to hear the rest of what Opal was saying. She was about to shoot out of bed when she realized there was something holding her in place. Confused, she forced her eyes to open and take in her surroundings. 

She could feel her back pressed up against Korra’s stomach, and she saw that Korra’s arms were wrapped around her waist. Heart starting to race, Asami wriggled her way out from between Korra’s arms, realizing somehow they’d ended up in that position in the middle of the night.

Asami blushed. _Hard_. Blinking several times, she tried to get her eyes to focus. _Crap,_ she thought, realizing she’d taken out her contact lenses the night before and left them upstairs. 

“Mbwahs going onnn?” Korra mumbled sleepily, arms searching for Asami in the now empty bed. She found a pillow instead, wrapping it in her arms and nuzzling her face against it. Even through fuzzy vision, Asami could tell Korra looked adorable, her frizzy hair creating a halo around her head. 

Asami got to the phone just as Opal hung up, and she sprinted out of the room. Wrapping a silk robe around herself as she went, she shot past the kitchen and to the front door, where she could see Bolin’s car parked outside. Panting, she threw open the front door. 

“Hey, guys!” she gasped. “We’re here! Just… woke… up.”

“I can tell!” said Bolin, looking askance at her rumpled hair and sleepy face. He’d never seen Asami look anything but pressed and polished. 

“It’s no problem,” said Opal graciously, elbowing Bolin in the ribs. “We can stop by a little later if you need some time to get yourself going.”

“No, I’m sure it’s fine,” Asami said. “Lemme just check with Korra real quick.”

When Korra looked up to see Asami coming through the bedroom door, she almost had a heart attack. Asami must’ve looked this way since last night, but the deep, emotional conversation hadn’t exactly lent itself to casual observation.

Asami’s hair was piled on top of her head in a loose topknot, with several curly tendrils framing her face. A silky bathrobe had slid down her arm, leaving the skin of one smooth, creamy shoulder exposed. But Korra was most startled to see Asami’s face. It was the first time she’d seen the woman with no makeup, and if anything, she looked even more radiant than usual. Her eyes seemed lighter without their usual heavy eyeshadow, and her full lips were a delicate shade of pink. She even had a spattering of freckles across her nose and cheeks, so light they were barely visible. 

Korra was aware that her mouth was hanging open, and she closed it with a soft _clop._

“I know you just woke up, but Bolin and Opal came by to say hello,” Asami said, approaching the bed. “You feeling up for company? I know you had kind of a rough night…”

“Actually, I think it’ll be nice,” Korra said. “I dunno, I’m feeling better. Lighter, I guess. It was good to get some of that off my chest.” 

Asami sat down on the bed beside her, happily noticing that Korra seemed much more at ease. “I’m always happy to help,” she said. “And I’m glad you feel better- you deserve it. So, should I bring Bo and Opal in?” 

“Yeah, go for it! Also, I’m starving,” Korra added, rubbing her stomach. “What’s for breakfast?”

“Don’t get ahead of yourself,” Asami said with a chuckle. “I just woke up too, you know.”

“I believe _I_ can answer that question,” said Opal playfully, easing through the doorway with her package. “I picked up bagels this morning, and coffee for you, Asami. Although, at this point it might be a little cold,” she said, scrunching her nose. “It’s a lot closer to lunchtime than it is to breakfast.” Looking at the clock with a start, Asami realized it was already half past twelve.

“Spirits! Did we really sleep in that late?” she said aloud.

“ _We?_ ” asked Bolin, coming into the room behind Opal. “Did you two sleep together? Aww, isn’t that sweet.” Korra and Asami both blushed deeply, stammering out excuses.

“ _Bolin!_ We didn’t sleep _together!_ ” Korra yelled.

“Oh, ick, I did _not_ mean that,” responded Bolin. “At least go on a date first, for Raava’s sakes.”

“I don’t- what do you-” 

Opal cut off Asami. “Oh, you both know perfectly well what he means. Come on, let’s eat!” she said, swiftly changing the subject before either girl could retaliate. 

Korra didn’t need much more encouragement than that- she was _hungry._

“I’ll let you guys catch up with Korra,” said Asami, standing to leave. “I’m gonna go upstairs and throw on some makeup. Plus, I can’t see,” she laughed. “Haven’t put my contacts in yet.”

“Oh, you’re no fun,” Korra pouted. “Besides, you look perfectly fine without makeup on.”

“Here, catch,” said Opal, tossing Asami her glasses from the dresser across the room. “There ya go, now you have no excuse to ditch us.”

Scrunching up her nose in annoyance, Asami slipped on her glasses. They were perfectly ordinary, with rounded edges and a black frame, and yet she was strangely insecure about them.  
Korra seemed to pick up on some of her anxiety. “Well don’t you look like a regular smarty!” she said playfully, giving her friend a nudge. The edges of Asami’s lips quirked up in a small smile, and she looked down, blushing. 

Bolin interrupted the moment by chucking a bagel at Korra, which bounced off her chest and into her lap. She stared at it for a good few moments, and then without warning hurled it back at Bolin.

“Gotcha! Hah!” she yelled triumphantly as it beaned him in the forehead. Bolin just tossed the now slightly squashed bagel up into the air, catching it in his mouth. 

“Gross!” chuckled Asami as he somehow mashed the entire thing into his mouth. “Opal, you date this?”

“I think it’s cute!” she replied with a blush, although she hurriedly came to Bolin’s rescue as he started choking. Korra bust out laughing as she watched her friend gasp and splutter. 

“Oh, Bolin,” she said, wiping away tears of laughter. “What would I do without you?”

* * * *

The next day, Sunday, the Nomads came over for dinner in the evening. Pema had brought more of her home cooking, and a prancing Naga greeted her at the door, begging for food. 

“Naga!” Ikki cried, ever the animal enthusiast. “I didn’t know you were here! Is she staying with you while Korra’s here?” she asked Asami. “Where is she sleeping? Are you and Korra gonna live together now? Mom, I really want a dog. Can I get a dog?”

“Easy there, spitfire,” laughed Korra, limping over on her crutches. “One question at a time, or you’ll make Asami’s head explode.” 

“Korra!” Ikki yelled, throwing her arms around her. Asami rushed to steady her friend as she was almost knocked off her feet by the force of Ikki’s hug.

“Good to see you on your feet, sweetie,” Pema said to Korra. “How are you holding up?”

Korra rubbed the back of her neck. “Fine so far, actually! A little sore, but nothing I can’t handle. Asami’s been _amazing_ at taking care of me. Couldn’t ask for anyone better.” 

“Some flowers for you, lovely lady,” said Meelo seriously, approaching Asami with a vase. 

“Why thank you. They’re beautiful,” Asami answered, matching his formal tone. She chuckled, remembering the first time they had met. Meelo had addressed her as “beautiful woman,” despite only being six at the time, and promptly asked for a lock of her hair. Asami gracefully declined, and somehow they had been good friends ever since.

Jinora and Tenzin were the last to make it through the door, Naga prancing at their heels. Together, the group made their way to Asami’s spacious dining room, where she had set extra chairs to accommodate everyone. Pema pulled Asami through to the kitchen to serve up the food, and she caught a glimpse of Jinora helping pull out a chair for Korra. All three kids gathered around Korra, with Ikki and Meelo squabbling over who got to sit next to her.

“So, ‘Nora, how’s senior year going?” Korra asked Jinora, who was sitting on her other side. “How’re things with Kai?” she added, wiggling her eyebrows at the teen.

“Well-” she began, but Tenzin cut her off. 

“Hold on a minute!” he thundered. “How come Korra’s still allowed to call you ‘Nora? You banned me from that nickname months ago!”

She shrugged. “I dunno dad, it’s just normal with Korra. When you say it, it sounds… weird.”

“Yeah Tenzin, you’re so weird,” teased Korra, sticking out her tongue at the man. He just sighed in exasperation, muttering something that sounded suspiciously like “ _teenagers,_ ” under his breath. 

“Food’s ready!” shouted Pema from the kitchen, rescuing Tenzin from the awkward moment. Korra made a movement as if to get up, but she felt a gentle hand on her shoulder restraining her. 

“Here,” said Asami. “I made up a plate for you.” She set it down in front of Korra, who smiled up at her friend.

“Thanks, ‘Sami! You’re the best,” she said. They made eye contact, and then hurriedly looked away, both blushing. 

“Ooooh, someone’s been bitten by a love bug!” Ikki sing-songed.

“Oh, quit being so immature,” Jinora said huffily. Her sister merely stuck out a tongue at her.

Over dinner, Tenzin broached the subject of school with Korra.

“You know, Korra, I have a sub lined up for at least the rest of the week,” he said thoughtfully. “And they can stay for the next week as well. You can take as long as you need to recover before coming back to school.”

“You kiddin’?” she responded. “I’m dying to get back to work! Being cooped up here all day is killing me. No offense, Asami”

“None taken,” Asami said, smiling. 

“But Korra, it’s only been three days!” exclaimed Tenzin. “You really should give yourself some more time to recuperate- you just had surgery, after all.”

“I’m _fine_ ,” she moaned. “Quit mothering me! Besides, what about my kids? I gotta get back for them.”

Asami decided to step in, laying a gentle hand on her shoulder. “Korra, no one is doubting your capability. Your students are all big kids now, they can go without you for a few days,” she said with a chuckle. “If you throw yourself back into it too quickly, you’re just going to drag out the healing process.” 

Korra wavered, hearing the truth to Asami’s words. 

“Come on... for me?” Asami wheedled, giving Korra her best puppy-dog eyes.

“Fine,” she relented. “But I’m not going back any later than Wednesday, and that’s _final._ ” 

Tenzin and Asami made eye contact across the table, one clearly exasperated, and the other slightly amused. _You’ve got your hands full with this one,_ Tenzin seemed to be saying.  
Noticing their silent conversation, Korra stuck out her tongue at Asami.

“Korra!” Tenzin cried, affronted. But Asami just laughed, sticking out her own tongue in return.

Which of course, brought on a flurry of tongue-wiggling and face-pulling from the kids, namely Meelo. In the midst of the confusion, Korra gave Tenzin a look as if to say, _sorry not sorry,_ and he sighed. Causing chaos was just part of the deal when it came to Korra. 

* * * *

As dinner ended, the group migrated to the living room for coffee and desert.

“Hey, Korra, can I have a word with you?” Jinora asked, motioning toward Korra’s temporary bedroom.

“Sure, kid,” she said, following Jinora inside. They sat down on the bay window, Jinora twisting her hands in her lap. “What’s up?” Korra asked.

“Well… I wanted to apologize,” she said, avoiding Korra’s eyes.

“For what?” Korra asked blankly. 

“For- for _this,_ ” Jinora said, gesturing at Korra’s crutches and broken ankle. “Oh, Korra, it’s all my fault! I feel awful! If I hadn’t-” she stopped in the middle of her sentence, bursting into tears and throwing herself around Korra’s waist. 

Korra was shocked at the outpouring of emotion, but she quickly recovered her wits. “Jinora, sweetheart, it’s _okay_. I’m okay!” she said, almost laughing. She squeezed the sobbing girl tightly. “You can’t blame yourself for _my_ decisions- it’s my literal _job_ to catch you guys in situations like that. I would’ve done the same for anyone else,” she said firmly. “This had nothing to do with you. And besides, if we’re pointing fingers, mine’s aimed at that slimeball Tahno.” 

Jinora sobs paused, and she looked up at Korra with wide, teary eyes. She sniffed. “Are you _sure_ you’re okay?” 

Korra winced, shifting her position slightly. “ _Yes,_ Jinora, I’m _fine._ Raava, how many times do I need to tell you people that before you’re convinced?” she teased, eyebrows furrowing. Jinora gave a watery chuckle, snuggling into Korra’s side.

“I still feel bad,” she sniffed. “You had to get _surgery._ ”

“I also get to stay with _Asami,_ ” Korra added playfully. “Which is a win in my books.”

Jinora shot up, eyes wide. “So Ikki _was_ right! Oh, I’m never gonna hear the end of this!”

“Right about what?”

“You really are oblivious, aren’t you?”

Korra blanched, surprised. Jinora was usually the sweetest and mildest of Tenzin’s children, and this sassy side was one she seldom saw. 

“I really have no clue what you’re talking about,” Korra said, ruffling her hair. “Come on. Let’s go see what your family is up to. Don’t wanna let Meelo steal all the dessert, do we?”

Jinora chuckled at that, wiping her tears away with the cuff of her sweater. She handed Korra her crutches, helping her up into a standing position.

“Thanks, Korra,” she said simply.

And together, they walked out into the living room.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And there we go! So the next chapter is a _big_ one as far as romance and confessions go, and it definitely needs reworking. Because of that, I might not get it up by Tuesday. I'll try my best, but no promises.
> 
> It'll definitely be here by next weekend, though, so don't worry! 
> 
> As always, kudos and comments appreciated!
> 
> -H


	8. Chapter 8

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello again! So, it's been a hot minute since I last updated this... I am _so_ sorry. *sobs* I had a crazy week with school and totally got overwhelmed, so I didn't get a chance to edit
> 
> To make up for that, y'all get an extra long, extra juicy chapter. I won't spoil it for you... but it's a good one ;)
> 
> Anyways, enjoy!

Kai stared silently down at the D+ on his test paper. He groaned inwardly, knowing Jinora was going to kill him. 

“What’d you get?” she asked, craning over her shoulder to see his test. “Oh, come on, don’t be such a baby!” she said as he hastily flipped the paper over, hiding the grade from view.

“Jinora, I’m no good at this stuff,” he said, rubbing the back of his neck. “Last chapter, I was fine, but ever since we added air resistance…” he trailed off. “It’s like my brain is missing some of the pieces or something.”

“Well, ask for help then!” she told him. “I’m sure Miss Sato will be plenty happy to tutor you.”

“ _Tutor me?_ ” Kai exclaimed. “Nuh uh! No way, I am not getting a tutor,” he said, shaking his head vehemently.

“Fine then,” spit out Jinora. “Fail the class, see if I care.” Kai was shocked. Jinora was usually so sweet and considerate, snapping at him like that was drastically out of character. He wondered if something was wrong.

“‘Nora, is something bothering you?” he whispered, tugging on the sleeve of her cardigan. She ignored him pointedly, staring up at the front of the class where Asami was writing on the whiteboard.

“Aw, I’m sorry,” he said. “I’ll go talk to Miss Sato first thing after class, I promise. Or, tell you what, I’ll-”

“It’s okay,” she said, posture softening as she turned around to look at him. “Sorry, I’m just a little stressed at the moment. AP classes, you know.” 

Kai was surprised to see that her brows were furrowed, and her usually sweet face was set into a frown.

“I’ll tell you what,” she said, seeming to pull out of her bleak mood with some effort. “I’ll help you. You show me your test, and I’ll go over it with you after school. We’ll have like a little study session or something.”

“That’d be great,” Kai responded, rubbing his girlfriend’s hand. She smiled at him. 

“Alright class, that’s all for today,” came Asami’s voice, and the two teens snapped to attention. “Remember, I’ll be offering retakes for any test below a C-, but you need to be _prepared.  
Please_ approach me if you have any questions, I’m always happy to help.”

The bell rang, and there was the usual rush of students swinging bags over their shoulders and racing out the door. Kai, who had mechanics and shop next, stayed behind, winking at Jinora as she left the room. 

He shifted awkwardly in his desk, realizing him and Asami were the only ones left in the room. She gave him a glance, clearly waiting for him to say something. He didn’t, and finally she broke the silence. 

“So, anything you want to ask me about the test?” she asked kindly, trying to put him at ease. 

“Actually, no,” he responded. “I mean yeah, I did pretty terrible, but Jinora said she’d help me after school.”

“That’s great,” Asami said warmly. “I’m sure she’ll be a great help.”

“How’s Korra?” Kai asked suddenly, looking up at Asami with concern in his green eyes. 

“Oh! She’s good, actually,” responded Asami, clearly caught off guard by the question. 

“I heard from Jinora that she was staying with you,” explained Kai. “Just wanted to ask. Cuz I was there when it… ya know… happened,” he said, dropping his gaze.

Asami slid into a desk next to him. “What was it like?” she asked curiously. “Was it… oh, I don’t know,” she trailed off, not sure what to say.

“It was pretty scary,” Kai responded, seeming to get the gist of what she was asking. “I mean, I didn’t see it _happen_ happen. She was already on the ground by the time I got over there. She yanked her foot out of the springs herself- wouldn’t let Jinora help her. And… and then she tried to walk it off on her own. ‘Course, the minute she stood up, her leg just… gave out. I had to help her over to the bleachers- she was cussing like a sailor the whole time,” he said with a chuckle, thinking back to the moment. 

Asami wasn’t sure whether to laugh or cry. “That sounds like Korra,” she finally said, shaking her head incredulously. “Never taking help from anyone, always convinced that she’s fine.”

“It was really weird,” Kai said. “When we all realized something was actually wrong. I mean, it’s Korra- she’s like the toughest person I know! Just didn’t seem real.” 

“Mhm,” Asami murmured in response.

“Glad to hear she’s on the mend, though,” Kai said, steering the conversation toward a slightly more optimistic note. 

“Yes, she’s doing pretty damn well for having come out of surgery two days ago. Fought tooth and nail to come back to school today; it took both me and Tenzin to convince her to stay home.”

Kai shook his head with a chuckle. “I broke my leg once, you know,” he said, “back when I was still in foster care. Skateboarding accident. I can’t even imagine dragging myself out of bed two days after it happened. I’m pretty sure I didn’t move for like a week!”

Asami laughed, deciding she liked the kid more and more. For Jinora to be dating him, she figured he must have at least a certain level of intelligence. But she was finding that he hid a pretty compassionate character under his “tough guy” exterior. Plus, he was downright funny; although his sense of humor had rubbed her the wrong way in the beginning, she knew now he was just a big goofball. All in all, a pretty good kid. 

_I can tell what Korra sees in him,_ she thought, realizing he reminded her a little bit of Korra. They both played tough, but were regular ol’ softies once you got to know them.   
Asami was drawn out of her musings as her next period began to pour through the doors. She groaned, realizing she still had two more classes before she could get home. Thinking longingly of her comfy couch, and the coffeemaker, and _Korra,_ she got to her feet and tried to mentally prepare herself for class.

“Long day?” asked Kai sympathetically.

“You have no idea,” Asami responded, giving him a strained expression. _Just two more hours,_ she told herself. _Two hours, and then you’re free._

* * * *

 _Two more hours,_ Korra told herself. _Just survive for another two hours and then Asami will be home._   
She groaned in frustration, chucking her phone across the room. Naga whined, approaching her owner’s upside down position hanging off the end of the bed.

“Hey, stoppit! That tickles!” Korra giggled, trying to wriggle out of range of the Newfoundland’s tongue. With a thud, she rolled right off the bed, landing heavily on the wooden floor. 

“Ouch,” she said dully as pain flared in her ankle. _Gahh,_ she thought, slamming her fists on the ground in frustration as she looked at her useless leg and the crutches leaned up against the door. _I can’t do this,_ she thought. _I gotta clear my head._

Usually, exercise was her escape. Korra thrived off of the endorphins that physical activity brought her, and she loved throwing herself into intense workouts, pushing her body to its limit. But because of her ankle, it had been _days_ since she last got to exercise. 

A sly grin crept across her face as a thought occurred to her. Aside from the spacious living room, dining room, workshop, and pool, Asami’s house also happened to have a built-in gym.  
Now, she was under strict orders from Nurse Judi (and Asami) to take it easy for at least a week after her surgery. But taking it easy was not what Korra did. 

“Come on, Naga,” Korra called, hopping across the room to retrieve her crutches. “Let’s go do something fun!”

Barely twenty minutes later, Korra was stripped down to her sports bra and a pair of athletic shorts, ready to roll. _Hmmm,_ she thought, _this’ll be a challenge._ But she wasn’t a successful fitness instructor for nothing, and after a minute of thought she came up with some semblance of a workout plan. 

She glanced up at the clock in the corner of the room, trying to plan out her timing. There was about an hour and a half before Asami got home, her workouts were usually about that long. Without some of her usual leg workouts, she would be able to shave off about half an hour, leaving thirty minutes to cooldown and change. _That should work! Asami’ll never know a thing,_ she thought to herself, giving a crooked grin. 

What Korra didn’t know was that the clock in the gym stopped working about halfway through her workout. She wasn’t a clock-watcher as a general rule, and she was throwing herself into training with such intensity that she barely glanced at the time. 

The first she realized that something seemed a little off, it was too late. 

_Far_ too late. 

“Korra? KORRA!” she could hear Asami yelling her name, footsteps pattering toward the gym door. From her upside-down position with knees hooked over the pullup bar, she cringed, realizing there was nothing she could do. Even if she managed to swing down from her perch in time, her sweat-soaked sports bra and hair would be dead giveaways. Shrugging to herself, she kept crunching, figuring she’d at least finish her set before Asami blew up. 

“Is that- are you- _KORRA!_ ” shouted Asami, visibly swelling with rage as she threw open the door to the gym. She caught Korra mid-crunch, and the woman slowly lowered herself down, guilt practically oozing out of her pores. 

“Hey, ‘Sami,” she said slowly, giving a crooked half-smile. “You’re home early…”

“Actually,” the woman said. “I’m home late- but that’s not the point. The _point_ is that I was out of my mind with worry! I finally get to the house, and I can’t find you _anywhere._ I call you over and over, I try the whole gang, I try Pema and Tenzin, the hospital, even that coffee place you always go. I mean, it was like you just disappeared!”

“Where was I _supposed_ to be? I mean, it’s not like I was just gonna up and leave!”

“Well, you could’ve! You’ve made it _very_ clear that you don’t want charity from other people.”

“Hey, that’s not-”

“You _don’t_ get to talk right now,” Asami said firmly, cutting Korra off. “Anyway, I was practically frantic! Where else could you possibly be? Until I think, ‘of course! Why in Raava’s name would Korra actually _listen to the medical health professionals_ who told her not to exercise for at least _a week?_ ’ And oh, what do you know, I was right!” she shouted, gesturing wildly. Her hair was down, one side held back by a blue clip, and it swung wildly as she moved.

“Asami, I’m _fine,_ ” Korra interrupted. “I can take care of myself, you know that!”

“Actually, Korra, you’re _not_ fine. Isn’t that kind of the whole point? You have a broken ankle, for crying out loud! Korra, what if you had fallen? What if you had hurt yourself? You were home alone, there was no one to call for help, and I for one think that was incredibly-” 

“Raava, I wanna kiss you so bad right now,” Korra muttered, just loud enough for Asami to hear. She realized instantly what had just slipped out of her mouth. _“Oops!”_ she breathed, eyes going wide as her hand shot up to cover her mouth. “Oh, Raava- spirits Asami- I didn’t- I mean- it just kinda, I’m so sorry… I-” she stammered, her entire face turning bright red. 

Asami stopped mid-rant with a look of shock on her face. She made a move as if to cross the room, but her feet were rooted to the floor. Her mouth was open, moving soundlessly, and Korra cringed with embarrassment.

“Oh!” Asami said, finally finding her voice.

“I’m _so_ sorry!” Korra said quickly. “I don’t know what I was thinking!”

“You don’t?” said Asami, a little sarcastically. “I think you just said it out loud.”

They were interrupted by a loud ringing coming from Asami’s phone. She glanced down, groaning when she saw the caller id.

“Work. I gotta take this,” she said quickly, sliding out of the room, leaving Korra hanging from the pullup bars with her mouth open in shock. 

* * * * 

_Good grief, Korra, what is wrong with you?_ She slapped her forehead with enough force to knock over a grown man. _I mean, thinking it was one thing, but saying it out loud? How much more of an idiot can you be? ‘Raava, I wanna kiss you,’ - even in my head it sounds stupid._

She sighed, leaning her head back against the slick wall of the shower. After Asami had left, she’d made a beeline straight for the bathroom, locking herself inside and turning up the shower all the way, as if the steam could somehow evaporate her previous actions. With the aid of a trash bag (to waterproof her splint) and a small, plastic stool, she’d made it into the shower without too much trouble. As the water ran down her back, she wondered what the hell she was going to do next. Like it or not, she was stuck living with Asami for the next week at least, and it was going to be _veeeery_ awkward if they didn’t address the situation. 

Korra had thought about confessing her feelings for Asami almost since the moment they’d met, but she never thought she’d actually be brave enough to do it. Or that it would come out in such an embarrassing way. She cringed at the memory of her sudden outburst. 

The two girls had a… complicated history, and Korra didn’t want to risk her friendship with Asami. Especially now, in light of what had happened after her surgery.   
Their late night conversation had been the first time Korra felt comfortable enough to talk about her mental health struggles, or even the war in general. Korra felt like their bond had strengthened immensely in that night alone, and now she was even more terrified to risk losing that. To risk losing _Asami.  
Well, I’m going to have to say something,_ she thought to herself. _Although, I guess I could just not talk to her at all. Yeah, maybe that’ll work,_ her brain said, already planning a route back to her bedroom that would steer well clear of Asami. _Oh, who am I kidding?_ she thought an instant later, moaning inwardly. _We’re living in the same house, for Raava’s sake, I can’t avoid her for a whole week! And even if I could… I wouldn’t want to. No, I owe her an explanation, at least._

“Hey, Korra, are you okay?” Asami called, pressing her ear up to the bathroom door. It had been almost forty-five minutes already, and she was half-convinced Korra was trying to drown herself. 

She heard a few crashes come from the bathroom, along with a muttered _“Shit!”_

“Yeah, uh-huh, totally fine,” Korra’s voice came, accompanied by more rustling. “Just- give me a sec- aha! Got it!” 

She heard the water turn off, and Asami could hear Korra moving around inside, presumably drying herself off. The thought of Korra’s naked body brought heat rising to her cheeks, and she was grateful for the door that hid her face from sight. 

“Shit! Holy motherfu-” 

Korra’s cursing was drowned out by resounding crashes. To Asami, it sounded like the entire roof had come down inside the bathroom. 

“Korra?” she cried in alarm. “Korra, what’s going on in there?” For a moment, her only answer was silence. 

“‘M fine,” Asami heard, muffled as if from far away. “Just a little- ouch!” Korra broke off into another string of mumbled curses.

“Okay that’s it, I’m coming in there,” Asami said, grabbing the handle of the door. 

She jiggled it in disbelief, met only with a clicking noise. It was locked. 

Muttering darkly to herself, Asami pulled her blue hair clip out of her black tresses. She inserted it into the door handle, sticking out her tongue in concentration as she carefully manipulated the tumblers. 

“Got it!” she shouted triumphantly. Remembering what was inside, she felt it only fair to give Korra some sort of warning. “Okay, Korra, I’m coming in,” called Asami. 

“Hey, ‘Sami,” Korra said sheepishly from her position on the ground. She was halfway in the tub still, body tangled in the shower curtain, which had somehow come down on top of her. Both legs stuck out of the tub at awkward angles, and she gave a sort of helpless wiggle. 

Asami couldn’t help but giggle. She noted, with some relief, that Korra had gotten her sports bra and shorts back on before getting tangled in the tub. 

“What did you do now?” she asked, marveling at Korra’s ability to get herself into the craziest of predicaments.

“I fell,” she said, giving a shrug that clearly said, _Duh._ “I was _trying_ to get the stool out of the tub, but I grabbed the shower curtain to hold me up, and it kinda came with me…” she gave Asami a crooked grin. 

Asami’s breath caught in her throat. Her eyes traveled over Korra’s dripping hair, her abs still glistening with water, and suddenly she was hyper aware of her own rapidly pulsing heartbeat. 

“Asami?” Korra asked in response to her friend's silence. “You look a little flushed… ” 

They stared at each other in silence for a minute, both feeling heat rise to their cheeks. It was Korra who broke the trance, unable to ignore the growing ache in her body from the awkward position she was still trapped in. 

“Hey, do you mind… helping me a bit here?” she asked, making another feeble attempt to extricate herself from the shower curtain. Asami laughed again, and Korra thought idly that it was the most beautiful sound she’d ever heard. 

“Here, hold onto me,” Asami said, offering Korra her hands. 

She tugged as hard as she could, forgetting that all of Korra’s considerable strength was also helping. The girls overbalanced, and Korra shot out of the tub, ending up pressed on top of Asami’s stomach on the bathroom floor. 

Their eyes both widened, lips inches apart once again, but the rod of the shower curtain was positioned awkwardly between them, keeping them separated. 

Asami wriggled her way out from underneath Korra, sitting up and trying to rescue her friend from the fabric. 

Korra winced as she discovered a sizable bump on one of her elbows, which she was sure would blossom into a respectable bruise by the next day. 

“Sorry!” Asami exclaimed. “Did I hurt your leg?”

“Nope, my leg’s fine,” Korra said, stretching her arm gingerly. “Hit my elbow on the way down, though, I think.”  
She felt Asami’s gentle hands take hold of her arm, carefully examining her elbow. Korra blushed as the woman’s fingertips trailed delicately over her skin, sending shivers down her spine. 

“Sheesh, Asami,” she said. “I’m fine, it’s just a little bump.”

Asami shook her head, and their eyes met.

“Asami, did we just…” Korra asked softly, obviously thinking of their almost-kiss. 

Asami stayed silent, looking at Korra with a level gaze. She tilted her head, waiting to see if Korra would continue.

Korra took a deep breath, preparing to finally make her confession.

“Okay so…. there’s something I kinda need to talk to you about. I’ve been putting it off for a while, but it’s not going to get any easier, so I kinda just need to come out and say it,” she said.

“Go ahead,” said Asami warmly, taking Korra’s hand. 

“Um… how do I start…” Korra muttered, eyes darting around the room. “Well… let’s start with the other night. After surgery, remember, when we had that conversation about my… PTSD and stuff.”

Asami nodded.

“I think I told you this already… but you’re the first person I’ve been able to open up to. Well, the only person, technically. And that’s _not_ a coincidence,” Korra continued. She took a deep breath, glancing down at their intertwined fingers to steady herself.

“Asami, I…. like you. _Like_ like you, like ‘wanna ki-” Korra trailed off, realizing what she was about to say. 

“Ok we’ll save that bit for later,” said Korra sheepishly, “But it’s true, I _really_ like you. And I have for a long time. Pretty much since the day we met, I think. You’re so smart, and capable, and talented, and _gorgeous,_ and I admire everything about you. And despite having such a rough start, our friendship totally took off. We got really close over the years, honestly closer than I am to anyone else, even Mako and Bolin. It took me awhile to realize my feelings for you went deeper than just friends, but… yeah that’s a conversation for another time. Spirits, I’m totally rambling, aren’t I? I’m sorry, this must sound so confusing-”

“Don’t apologize!” Asami interrupted. “Don’t you _ever_ apologize for talking about your feelings. You’re doing a great job.” She paused, and then realized Korra was looking at her expectantly. “Is there… something else?” Asami asked hesitantly.

“Um… do you…ya know, like me back?” Korra whispered. Her eyes looked wide and vulnerable, more so than Asami could ever remember seeing them. It was so sweet, and innocent, most likely coming from Korra’s sheltered childhood. In fact, besides Mako, Asami wasn’t sure if Korra had ever been in another relationship. _Wait… am I her first girl crush?_

It had totally slipped Asami’s mind that she hadn’t answered the question. “Oh!” she cried. “Whoops, sorry Korra, I thought it was kinda obvious.”

“So you… do like me?”

Asami nodded eagerly.

“I just- I never thought someone like _you_ would be interested in someone like me. The… the nod means yes, right?” Korra asked anxiously.

 _Dear Raava,_ thought Asami, _this woman is going to kill me._

“ _Yes,_ of course!” she laughed, placing a hand on Korra’s shoulder. “Ok, we’ll deal with the ‘someone like me’ issue later… we have _got_ to work on your self esteem… wait hold on, I’m getting distracted here. Where was I?”

“You apparently like me back,” Korra supplied.

Asami chuckled at her disbelieving tone. “Korra, have you looked at the two of us? I let you bring me breakfast every morning at school. We spend almost every weekend together. Right now you’re actually living _in my house._ Not to mention I turn into a blushing, stuttering, mess every time you do something _remotely_ like flirting. I mean, I can barely look at you right now with those abs without feeling like I’m gonna either pass out or do something _incredibly_ stupid. How long was it going to take for you to realize I felt something for you?”

“I dunno!” said Korra, rubbing the back of her neck sheepishly. “We were so close, I didn’t want to risk our friendship. I guess I just convinced myself that all those things you did for me were just what friends do.”

“The other night?” Asami pointed out. “We slept in each other’s arms!” 

Korra immediately blushed.

“Yeah, okay, so I kinda guessed,” she said. “But first of all, we were both a bit preoccupied with other stuff. And- and second of all, I was still _way_ too scared to say anything. I mean, c’mon- you’re so far out of my league!”

Asami threw her head back, letting out a long laugh. Korra looked at her with confusion in her blue eyes.   
“Korra, have you ever even looked at yourself?” she asked. “You are _so hot._ If anything, _you’re_ way out of _my_ league. I mean, those abs? Seriously?”

Korra chuckled.

“But besides that, you’re like… my favorite person ever. You’re so genuine, and enthusiastic, and your smile just completely lights up a room the minute you walk in. And you’re so considerate. All you want to do is take care of the people you love, and help them out in any way you can. You’re so determined too, and strong, and brave. Honestly, Korra, I could go on for hours.” 

Asami giggled at the sight of Korra’s flustered face. The poor woman didn’t seem to know what to say. 

“Thanks?” she finally settled for, still with a note of disbelief in her voice.

“Come on,” Asami chuckled, wrapping her arm around Korra’s waist to heave her to her feet. “Let’s get you out of the bathroom.” She helped Korra limp to the door, where her crutches were leaning up against the sink.

“Asami Sato likes me,” Korra murmured dreamily to herself. “ _The_ Asami Sato. Likes _me!_ ” 

Asami blushed. “Yes,” she responded with a grin. “Yes she does. She likes you very much.” 

* * * *

“Whatcha up to?” asked Korra a few hours later, peeking her head into Asami’s office. 

“Grading lab reports,” came an answering groan. She was so engrossed in her work that she didn’t notice Korra sneak up on her until she grabbed her by the shoulders. Asami jumped about ten feet in the air.

“Spirits, Korra, you almost gave me a heart attack!” she said, clutching her chest. Korra didn’t respond, shaking with laughter. 

“Okay, that’s it,” she said finally. “I am officially rescuing you from your papers. Come on, you’re hanging out with me instead!”

“I wish I could, Korra, but I promised the kids I’d get these graded by-” she was cut off by a hand over her mouth. 

“If you _have_ to work, at least come sit in the living room with me,” Korra pleaded, making her blue eyes wide. Asami wanted to give a snarky response, but she was all too aware of Korra’s warm hand touching her lips.

“‘Sami? You with me?” Korra asked, removing her hand from Asami’s mouth in order to wave it in front of her face.

“Yeah… ” she mumbled, gathering up a stack of papers. “Fine,” she said, snatching a red pen off the desk. “You know I can’t say no to that pouty face of yours. But no distracting me!”

“Yes!” Korra crowed. “Victory!” 

Asami sighed, although she felt decidedly better out in the bright living room. Her office got so dark and small sometimes… it was nice to have someone to pull her out of her “cave,” as she called it. Making a beeline for her favorite couch, Asami plopped down, pulling the coffee table toward her to set down her papers. 

“Hey, Korra, you wanna put the coffee maker on?” Asami called. She could hear Korra moving around in the kitchen and assumed she was raiding the fridge. 

“Sure!” came the answering voice. “Except… how does this thing work?”

Asami gasped in mock horror. “Korra! Don’t tell me you’ve never used a coffee maker?”

“You _know_ I don’t drink the stuff,” Korra protested, emerging from the kitchen with an enormous bowl of popcorn in her hands and her crutches squeezed under her armpits. 

“Okay, I have no idea how you’re walking like that, but let me take _this,_ ” Asami said, gently prying the bowl from her hands, “before you faceplant and get popcorn all over my clean floors. Now come on, I’ll show you how to use the coffee maker.” 

Korra gazed longingly at the bowl of popcorn as Asami set it down on the coffee table, but allowed herself to be led back into the kitchen.

A few minutes and a slightly burnt vanilla latte later, the two women emerged from the kitchen.

“Honestly, Asami, I don’t know what you see in that stuff,” said Korra, wrinkling her nose at the coffee. “Besides, caffeine is awful for you!” 

Asami just shook her head and chuckled silently, knowing her need for energy outweighed the potential harm the caffeine might do to her. 

“I’ve been drinking coffee for years, Korra,” she said, settling into the couch. “If it’s gonna kill me, I think it’s a little too late to stop now. There’s no harm in a few extra cups before I go,” she joked. Korra muttered darkly, plopping down next to Asami on the couch and retrieving her bowl of popcorn. Naga padded over to them and curled up right at Korra’s feet. 

The only sounds for a few minutes were munching from Korra and a gentle swishing of Asami shuffling the papers as she graded. 

Pretty soon, Korra was stifling yawns. Her workout was really starting to take a toll on her body. _Maybe I shouldn’t have gone so hard my first session back,_ she thought to herself, shrugging philosophically as she realized it was too late to change anything. She could feel her eyelids begin to droop, and she slid down a few inches in order to rest her head on the back of the couch.

Asami startled as she felt a weight drop onto her shoulder. Glancing up from her students’ reports, she saw that it was Korra’s head. The woman had fallen fast asleep, hair falling in front of her face. It fluttered a little as she breathed, and Asami stared at it, transfixed. Gently, she shifted an arm around her friend’s back and eased her down so Korra’s head was resting in her lap.   
Korra stirred, one eye cracking open as she felt herself move. 

“Shh,” Asami said, gently pressing a finger to Korra’s lips. “Go back to sleep.” 

Korra’s lips softened into a smile. She squirmed a little, pulling her legs up onto the couch so the splinted one rested on top of the other. Asami went back to her grading, idly stroking Korra’s hair with one hand. 

“‘Sami,” Korra breathed, once again cracking her eyes open. “About earlier… what are we, exactly? I mean… if we both like each other… ”

Asami stopped her stroking motions, a little surprised at how blunt the question was. But that was Korra, always getting straight to the point. She looked down at the woman in her lap.   
“I don’t know, Korra. What do you want to be?” she asked. 

“... your girlfriend,” came the whispered response.

“Tell you what,” Asami said, cupping Korra’s cheek gently. “I’ll be your girlfriend on one condition.”

“What?” Korra asked anxiously. That earnest look was back in her blue eyes, and Asami felt her breath catch in her throat.

Asami felt a smile tug at the corner of her lips. “You kiss me first, to test it out,” she said, a hint of playfulness in her voice. 

Korra shot up from Asami’s lap, turning beet red in less than a second. _“‘Sami,”_ she groaned. “Are you gonna be this much of a tease our whole relationship?”

“Only one way to find out,” Asami responded, leaning in. She paused just before her lips met Korra’s, leaving the decision up to her.

Hesitantly, Korra leaned in the rest of the way.

Their lips met softly, and Korra sighed as she felt all the tension drain from her body. It was a slow kiss, a sweet one, both women smiling softly into the other’s lips.

Then Korra deepened the kiss, prompting Asami to reach up and tangle her hand in Korra’s silky hair. Korra wrapped her arms around Asami’s waist, stroking her back. It brought a tingle of pleasure racing down Asami’s spine, and she responded by pressing even deeper into the kiss.

Of course, that was precisely the moment when Korra’s broken ankle slid off the couch and hit the floor with a dull _thud,_.

Korra yelped, breaking the kiss. Her hand instinctively went down to her leg, as if to squeeze the pain away, but the cast prevented her from doing so. She settled for simply staying in that position, doubled over and panting, waiting for the pain to subside.

“Oh, Korra,” Asami murmured, rubbing a hand gently up and down Korra’s back.

“‘S all good,” she gasped, straightening up. “‘M fine.”

“Painkillers?” Asami asked.

Korra nodded.

When Asami returned, Korra was once again in an upright position, her ankle propped up on a few throw pillows. 

“Hey, good girl!” Asami commented, setting down a glass of water and the bottle of pills. “You’re elevating it and everything.”

Korra chuckled. “I’m a fitness instructor, ‘Sami, I know how to take care of injuries.”

Asami gave her a pointed look.

“Okay, yeah, it’s a little harder when _I’m_ the one injured. But I’m _trying,_ ” Korra conceded. “And by the way, that workout from earlier is definitely catching up to me.” 

She left the statement open, clearly waiting for Asami to jump in.

“I wanna say it _so bad,_ ” murmured Asami, “but I already yelled at you earlier so I really shouldn’t.”

“Go ahead,” Korra laughed. 

_“Itoldyouso!”_ yelped Asami, barely needing encouragement. 

That just made Korra laugh even harder, until tears were practically streaming from her eyes. 

“You’re such a goody-two-shoes,” she teased, nudging Asami playfully. 

“Shut up and take your meds,” came the response. 

* * * *

“So… are we girlfriends now?” Korra murmured. She’d gone back to her position on Asami’s lap, this time lying on her back with her face looking up at Asami.

“You’re so beautiful,” she murmured, and Korra blushed. “And yes, we are _definitely_ girlfriends now.” 

“I’m sorry I ruined our first kiss,” mumbled Korra.

“It was _perfect_ ” Asami responded. “I wouldn’t change a thing. It was sweet, and passionate, and a little messy too. Just like us.”

“Just like us,” Korra repeated, smiling sleepily.

Asami leaned down, brushing a stray piece of hair out of Korra’s face. She kissed her gently on the forehead, lips barely brushing Korra’s dusky skin. 

“I think I’m dreaming,” Korra whispered sleepily, with half-closed eyes. Asami laughed softly, trying not to jostle her tired friend. 

“Who’s the one who needs coffee now?” she teased, but Korra was already asleep, a peaceful smile on her face. Asami felt her own lips turn up at the corners, and she went back to grading her papers. She wouldn’t wish surgery on anyone, but secretly she was just a little glad that Korra had gotten hurt. It had brought them together, hadn’t it? _And that ended very well indeed,_ she thought to herself.

It was late at night when Asami finally finished grading. She carefully carried Korra down the hall, settling her gently in bed before changing into pajamas and snuggling into the window seat nearby. That night, she just felt like staying close.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> AND THE RELATIONSHIP OFFICIALLY BEGINS!!
> 
> Let me just say, I am _so_ pumped to finally get to this point. You can expect lots more fluff and sweetness from our adorable gaybies in the upcoming chapters, that much I can promise. (Don't worry, I'll sprinkle in a hint of angst too)
> 
> Please let me know what you thought... I've never been in a relationship myself so I'm going in blind as far as how to write one. 
> 
> As always, kudos and comments appreciated!
> 
> -H


	9. Chapter 9

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Guess who's back! (its me)
> 
> I just want to start off by apologizing SO much for the wait. When I started this story I wanted to be able to post twice a week for you guys. School has gotten really busy tho, and I need to quit procrastinating, so I'm gonna cut it down to updating on weekends only. 
> 
> On a separate note, I hit 30 bookmarks and over 250 kudos!! That literally blows my mind, thank y'all so much for the support.
> 
> Without further ado, here's chapter 9  
> Enjoy!

Korra turned just in time to brace herself for the hurtling blur of a certain hyper sophomore caught her around the middle. She staggered back a pace, nearly overbalancing on her crutches. 

“Ikki!” she cried. “Woah there, nelly, calm down.”

“You’re back! You’re back! You’re back!” Ikki squealed, squeezing Korra so tightly she thought her ribs might crack. 

“Ikki, you saw me two days ago!” Korra protested. “You came over for dinner, remember?”

“I know, I know,” she said, releasing Korra and bouncing up and down on her toes. “But two days was like, forever ago! And besides, now you’re back at _school_ \- it’s different!”

Korra chuckled lightly to herself, shifting her weight on her crutches to give Ikki a pat on the shoulder. The girl gave a last excited bounce before turning to weave through the few students in the hall.

“See you later! Gotta run!” she said, practically flying away with her book bag bouncing on her shoulder. 

“Well, look who it is!” exclaimed Bolin, sauntering down the hall from the other direction. Opal rushed excitedly to Korra’s side. 

“You’re back!” she said. “How are you feeling?”

“Ready to rock and roll!” Korra shot back, flexing a bicep impressively. 

Asami slapped her arm down. “Oh, quit showing off,” she said with a smirk. Korra merely wiggled her eyebrows in Asami’s direction. 

“Where’s Tenzin?” she asked, looking down the hall as if to spot the man. “I wanna talk to him. He said he’d give me my sub reports- not that I really need them anyway. I could care less what the sub thinks of my kids,” Korra said with a snort. “What I really want to talk to him about is Tahno.”

“Sorry Kor, but you’ll have to wait,” came Mako’s voice, approaching from behind. “Tenzin’s stuck in a meeting right now... but he did have a chance to give me these,” the counselor said, handing Korra a thin stack of papers, held together neatly with a paperclip. 

“Thanks Mako!” she said. “The sub reports?” 

Mako gave an affirming nod. 

The bell rang shrilly, signaling five minutes before the school day officially started. All grumbling lightly, the teachers dispersed toward their various classrooms. Asami lingered, waiting until the hall had emptied. 

“See you later,” she said to Korra, giving her hand a gentle squeeze. “We’ll plan our first date today, I promise.” She set off down the hall, leaving a flustered Korra to watch her walk away, hips swaying elegantly from side to side. She shook her head once, still unwilling to believe that a creature as beautiful as _that_ was going on a date with _her._

Korra realized she was standing alone in the hallway, and quickly slipped into the door of the gym, only a few steps to her right. She made her way into her office, located in the girls’ locker room, and sat down with an _oomph,_ content to wait there while the girls trickled in and got changed.

Pretty soon, there were squeals of excitement as students started to realize it was her through the office window. She smiled at them, waving casually. A crowd began to gather around the window, and she shooed them away with her hands, mouthing a silent “ _go change._ ” Korra could see the kids grumbling as they went to change and then left the locker room for the main gym, where they waited every day to start class. First period was her juniors, and she had known most of them for three years now. 

Once she’d judged that the locker room had emptied enough, she got to her feet. Or rather, her one good foot. As she limped out into the gym, she could see the kids milling around, the boys having emerged from their locker room as well. A hush fell over all of them as they took in Korra’s crutches and splint.

“Lighten up guys, it’s not a funeral,” she joked, making it over to the bleachers. They all chuckled nervously, gathering around. 

“What _happened_ to you?” one guy spoke up. 

“Yeah,” another girl chimed in. “The sub wouldn’t tell us _anything!_ ” Suddenly, everyone started talking at once, shouting out questions and condolences.

“Woah, woah, calm down,” Korra cried, holding her hands out placatingly. “One at a time- don’t worry, I’ll get to all of you.” She sat down on the first step of the bleachers, stretching her leg out in front of her and leaning her crutches up against the edge of the bench. 

“Did you, like, break your ankle?” one girl blurted out, unable to wait. “Oops,” she said, throwing a hand over her mouth as the gym went silent.

“That’s okay,” Korra chuckled. “And to answer your question, yes: I did break my ankle. Well, technically it’s the bottom of my leg bones.”

“How bad?” came a yell.

“Pretty bad… I mean, I had to get surgery.” 

The students gave a collective wince of sympathy. 

“How come you were gone so long?” someone asked, and his friend elbowed him in the ribs. 

“Come on man, it was only like a day!” he whispered furiously.

Korra laughed out loud at the two. “It’s fine guys, I said I’d answer all of your questions. And anyway, I wanted to be back on Monday. But surgery is, ya know, surgery. Plus Miss Sato and Principal Tenzin forced me to stay home,” she said sourly. “They had some _crazy_ idea in their heads that I needed extra rest.”

“But didn’t you tell us that resting is the best way to let your body heal from an injury?” a student pointed out. 

“Oh, you little squirts are too smart for me,” Korra said. “Yes, technically you’re right,” she sighed. “Resting is good for letting your body heal. Just no fun when you’re the one stuck in bed.”

One girl was still wide-eyed. “Surgery?” she breathed. “Wow, that must have been so scary!”

“Aw, come on, Coach K’s not afraid of _anything,_ ” a guy yelled from the back.

“Actually, I was,” Korra admitted. Her students just sat, staring in shock. Their coach was pretty much the toughest person they knew- it was hard to imagine her scared for any reason.  
“I mean, let’s face it. They put you under, slice you open, and move stuff around. There’s a lot that could go wrong,” Korra continued. “But the important thing about things like that is knowing that it’s okay to be afraid. It’s totally normal! Just as long as you don’t use your fear to hurt other people, you’re perfectly entitled to express it.”

The kids watched her talk, wide-eyed. To them, Coach K had always been just the goofy P.E. teacher, always ready to crack a joke or get them moving. She was a great listener, and an enthusiastic coach, but they had never seen this side of her before. It was becoming pretty clear that there was a quiet wisdom to Korra, something that went deeper than the surface.

“Any more questions?” Korra asked, bringing everyone’s attention back to the present.

“Yeah, I’ve got one,” shouted a boy from the back. “How are you gonna teach us? I mean, you can’t do anything _with_ us like you normally do.”

The teacher grimaced. “I know guys… and it sucks. Believe me, I want to work out with all of you so bad,” she groaned. “I’m gonna try my best to stay active in some ways. But certain stuff we won’t be doing for a while since I can’t help out.”

“Like what?” someone yelled. 

“Well, the trampoline for a start,” she said with a chuckle. “Not that I don’t trust you guys- I totally do. I just wouldn’t be able to catch you if something were to happen.”

“You mean like Tahno double bouncing someone again?” a girl suggested.

Korra wasn’t surprised that they knew all the details of the accident. Gossip spread like wildfire, especially in a school as small as theirs. “Yes,” she answered, giving a crooked grin, “like Tahno double bouncing someone. Now that you mention it... does anyone know anything about where he went?” 

“I heard he got suspended,” one girl said quietly.

Someone else contradicted her. “No way! He definitely got expelled.”  
Suddenly, the room was a chorus of “I heards” and “someone told me’s”. 

“Okay, okay- calm down guys,” shouted Korra, trying to regain control of the class for the second time that period. “I’m gonna talk to Principal Tenzin about it later, I just wanted to see if you guys knew anything concrete.”

“Well, one thing’s for sure,” someone piped up. “No one’s seen him or heard from him since Friday!”

“Well, that’s something,” Korra muttered to herself. “Anyway, last round. One more question, anyone?” She looked at the sea of hands waving in front of her, and then down at her watch.

“Ok, you know what? Change of plans- I guess you guys have a lot to ask. I was gonna try to get in a quick activity today, but I’ll leave it up to you. Workout or more questions?”

“Questions!” everyone shouted.

“Alright, alright,” Korra said, laughing lightly. “Wow, I feel like such a celebrity! Who knew?” she joked.

* * * *

Her next three class periods went pretty much the same way. A chorus of questions and concern for her well-being, as well as a general expression of hatred toward Tahno. The gym teacher was very popular among the students, and her injury at the hands of Tahno had turned them completely against him. Korra was surprised, however, at how relatable her story seemed to be to the kids. Many of them opened up more than in all the years she’d known them, telling personal stories of injury even in front of all of their peers. Her theme of not being afraid of fear seemed to hit home with a lot of the students.

Korra was even more surprised at the outpouring of support from the teachers. Even grumpy Lin Beifong was nice enough to help her out when she dropped some of her papers at lunch, and that woman usually wouldn’t give you the time of day. Kya came over to check on her several times throughout as well, although each time Korra assured her that yes, she was completely okay and didn’t need anything.

But the highlight of the day, without a question, was in fifth period- Kai and Jinora’s class. 

Korra had barely managed to hobble her way into the gym before she was smothered by Jinora’s hug. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Kai holding what looked like a giant sheet of posterboard before her vision was obscured by various shoulders and pairs of arms. 

“Group hug!” she called with a chuckle. “Aw, you know I love you guys.”

Jinora squeezed her tightly around the middle. 

“You know, the seniors are always my favorites,” Korra said in a conspiratorial whisper. “But shhh… don’t tell the freshman- they’ll be jealous.”

There was a chorus of chuckling, and the little group hug slowly dissipated. Korra limped over to the bleachers, lowering herself down with a small groan. Before she could speak, however, Kai interrupted her.

“We uh, we have something for you,” he said, clearing his throat. Jinora gave him an encouraging pat on the shoulder, and he stood up, flipping over the posterboard he was holding.  
“It’s for you,” he added, unnecessarily.

At first, Korra couldn’t speak. She felt her mouth drop open as her eyes scanned what she realized was a giant get well card. The entire surface was covered with brightly colored writing, drawings, and signatures. Kai brought the card over to her, and Korra ran her fingers over the surface disbelievingly.

Jinora approached Korra’s other side, giving her a one armed squeeze as she skimmed the messages.

“I hope you like it,” she said softly. “We all agreed we should do something for you, so we went around to a bunch of classes asking kids to sign… it’s not much, but-” 

“It’s the sweetest thing _ever,_ ” Korra said with a little sniff. “You guys are seriously the best! I don’t know _what_ I did to deserve such an awesome group of kids…” 

“Come on, Coach K,” Kai said, patting a sniffling Jinora on the shoulder. “You _know_ we’d never pass up an opportunity to get out of class, especially if it meant interrupting other classes too!” 

Korra chuckled, giving him a playful punch.

“Thank you. _All_ of you.” she said, lifting her gaze to the rest of the class. “This really means a lot.” 

All in all, it was an exhausted, yet elated Korra who hobbled through the parking lot to Asami’s car at the end of the day. 

* * * *

“Well look at you,” Asami said, smirking at Korra’s giant card. “I guess _someone’s_ a class favorite?”

“Oh, shut up. You know how kids are,” said Korra, blushing. “But really, I can’t get over that they did all of this for me. I mean, it’s just _me._ ”

Asami shook her head in wonder. _She has no idea how amazing she is, does she?_ Asami thought. 

“So,” she said as they pulled out of the parking lot. “I’ve been thinking.”

“About…?” Korra asked teasingly, thinking she knew where the conversation was headed.

Asami turned her head to look Korra in the eye. “About us. And our date.”

“I was hoping you’d say that,” she responded, blushing a little. 

“Well, anyway,” Asami continued, smiling. “Usually first dates are something like coffee, or lunch or something. But… I don’t know… I guess I wasn't really feeling it.”

“I know what you mean,” Korra said. “I feel like… we know each other so well already, there’s no need to start at the beginning.”

Asami looked relieved. “Okay, I’m glad we’re seeing eye-to-eye there. I think I came up with something that’ll be perfect.”

“What is it?” Korra asked, curiosity piqued. 

“That’s the fun part,” said Asami. “It’s a surprise. You’ll just have to wait and see.”

Korra was tempted to protest, but the look on Asami’s face stopped her. The woman was practically trembling with contained excitement.

“You know, I’m really not into surprises,” Korra grumbled.

“Come on, don’t you trust me?” Asami wheedled.

“Yes… but-”

“Perfect! It’s settled then. Just keep your Friday evening open.”

“Friday? That’s in like, forever!”

“Just two days, silly. You can wait until then.”

Korra groaned, eliciting a soft giggle from Asami. “I hate waiting! And surprises!” 

“So… how’s the ankle?” Asami asked, steering the conversation away from dates.

Korra rubbed at her splint absentmindedly. “Great! Oh- don’t give me that look,” she said, as Asami shot her a skeptical glare. “Really, I feel fine.”

“Still not buying it,” Asami said, pointing her nose in the air.

“Okay, it twinges a _little,_ ” Korra admitted. “But only when I try to move it too fast! Or I haven’t elevated it in a while. Or I bump it into something… actually yeah, I guess it hurts a bit.”

“Thought so,” said Asami, but she dropped the act and gave Korra a look of concern. 

“Oh, don’t worry, I’ll elevate it when we get home. Take some pain meds or something, it’ll be fine. And actually,” Korra continued, “what’s worse than the pain is the _itch._ Spirits, Asami, it’s driving me mad!”

“The doctors said that would probably happen,” Asami commented. “It’s your incision from the surgery healing.”

“Gah! I don’t care what it is, I just want it gone!” she exclaimed. Asami chuckled lightly, resting a hand on Korra’s knee. 

“Just be patient,” she said. “Your body is doing its best to heal.” Korra shot her an annoyed glare, although she kept quiet.

“Actually, speaking of healing, you’ve got a doctors appointment on Saturday.”

“What for?” asked Korra blankly. 

“To check on you?” Asami said in disbelief. “Come on, Korra, you know how these things work.”

“I’m just messin with ya,” she said. “What time?”

“Eleven, I think. And I’m sorry, but you’ll have to get a ride. I have a company meeting I can’t weasel out of this time- I used my free pass for the month when I came to see you at the hospital over the weekend.”

“That’s okay,” said Korra. “Don’t feel bad. You’ve done more than enough for me already.”

They shared a brief smile, pulling into Asami’s driveway. 

“So, I know our first _official_ date is only on Friday,” said Korra, throwing a glance toward Asami. “But how about we hang out together tonight? Watch a movie, order takeout? Ya know, just chill?”

“That sounds wonderful,” Asami responded, smiling at Korra. Her grin turned mischievous. “And who knows… maybe I’ll get a chance to kiss you again.”

The effect of her words was instantaneous. Korra turned bright red, dropping her eyes bashfully and rubbing the back of her neck. She muttered something under her breath, softly enough that Asami couldn’t hear.

“What was that?” she asked teasingly. 

Korra just shook her head. She let a playful edge creep into her voice. 

“Kiss me hard enough and maybe you’ll find out.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I couldn't resist adding that last bit ;)
> 
> Korrasami first date next week, stay tuned ;))
> 
> As always, kudos and comments appreciated!
> 
> -H


	10. Chapter 10

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello my friends! So... I swear I meant to update this yesterday... sorry for the wait. I've been really unmotivated to post lately because AO3's format is literal death and I hate how long it takes. Anyways, that's a me problem. Y'all are just here for the content.
> 
> So, here we go with chapter... omg wait are we on chapter 10?! I actually can't believe that it's been this long and that all of you have stuck with it. A HUGE thanks to everyone who has commented/kudosed/bookmarked and even to everyone who's just read it. This really means the world to me, especially since it's my first fic.
> 
> Love y'all  
> Enjoy! (it's Korrasami date fluff ;))

The next few days passed in a blur of activity. Asami was busy giving physics students extra tutoring, and between that and an upcoming project in her shop class, Korra didn’t see very much of her. Not that she had time to spare anyway; Tenzin was keeping her busy filing reports of the incident so they could decide what to do about Tahno. 

By the time it got to Friday, Korra woke up with a groan in anticipation of the week being over. Her and Asami stumbled past each other a few times getting ready, both mumbling semi coherent greetings, and some way or another made it to school. 

Korra limped down the hall to her office, easing herself carefully into a comfy desk chair. For some reason, the aching in her ankle was especially pronounced that morning, sending sharp throbs up her leg every time she moved. While she usually hated taking medication during school, there was just nothing for it. She pulled open her desk drawer and rummaged around inside. 

_Crap!_ Korra thought to herself as her hand skimmed empty air. _I left my pain meds at Asami’s!_ Groaning and slapping her forehead, she slumped back into her chair. _This is gonna be one hell of a day,_ she thought. Sucking a breath through her teeth, she heaved herself upright and went to go teach.

By fifth period, the throbbing in her ankle was becoming difficult to ignore. She’d successfully pushed it to the back of her mind during her first two classes, and even concealed it remarkably well during lunch. But by the time she made it back to the gym for her next class, she admitted defeat. _But what to do_ , she thought to herself, tapping her chin. Nurse Kya would definitely have ibuprofen, but she wasn’t sure if she was legally allowed to give medication at school. Plus she didn’t want to admit to her that she was in any pain, although the nurse had probably realized at this point anyway. Pretty much everyone else would have something… maybe she should go to Opal? Korra dismissed the thought almost immediately. Opal was already too concerned about her, didn’t need to fuel the fire any more. 

_Aha!_ She thought, just as students started streaming into the locker room. _Asami! Korra, how come you didn’t think of that sooner?_

“Okay, guys, I’m trusting you to be good for a few minutes,” she said, addressing the crowded locker room. “I gotta go talk to someone real quick, I’ll be back by the time class starts.”

A few of her students, including Jinora, shot her confused looks, but she waved them off, turning to limp heavily out the door in the direction of Asami’s classroom.

* * * *

“Okay, so problem 82 from last night’s homework. To set up this problem, we can separate the net forces into the vertical and horizontal directions and…” Asami stopped her scribbling on the whiteboard as she caught movement out of the corner of her eye. It was Korra, sliding quietly through the door of her classroom, and motioning for her to continue teaching. Looking around, Asami realized none of her students had yet noticed the visitor. 

“... and then by setting net forces in the y direction equal to zero, you should be able substitute into your other equation and solve for the coefficient of friction,” Asami said slowly, shooting Korra a confused look. “Okay guys, take a minute to compare homework with your partners and discuss any mistakes you might have made.” 

She let the students’ attention turn to the homework and their peers before threading her way through the desks to Korra.

“Um, don’t you have a class right now?” she asked Korra, although that usually didn’t stop her from wandering the halls. 

“Yeah, I gotta get back pretty quick,” Korra responded. “Sorry for interrupting.”

“You’re fine,” Asami said, waving an elegant hand. “Besides, I don’t think any of them even saw you slip in. What’s up?”

Korra leaned in close before asking quietly, “Do you have any ibuprofen or something?”

Asami’s eyes widened. “What’s wrong? Is your ankle bothering you?”

“Yeah, a bit,” she admitted with a grimace. “This morning I thought if I ignored it, it would go away- I left my prescription at your house. But it’s kinda getting worse.”

“ _This morning?_ ” Asami whispered sharply. “Korra, you’ve been in pain all day and you didn’t think to tell anyone?”

“Come on, ‘Sami, you know how I am. And besides, I just told _you,_ didn’t I?”

“Not until the second-to-last period of the day!”

“Okay, my class is probably wondering where the heck I am right now, so can I _please_ just have some ibuprofen?” Korra said, practically begging at this point. _She must really be hurting if she’s willing to beg,_ thought Asami to herself. 

Sighing heavily, she rummaged through her purse. “If you’re in that much pain, Korra, you should really go see Nurse Kya.”

“Thanks!” Korra chirped as Asami handed her the bottle, completely ignoring her girlfriend’s suggestion. “You’re the best,” she said, tossing back a pill and swallowing it dry. 

“I don’t know _how_ you do that,” muttered Asami, taking back the proffered bottle. 

“I gotta run!” said Korra in response, turning and slipping out of the door as quietly as she had come in. 

* * * *

“Is your ankle feeling any better?” Asami asked as they made their way to the parking lot.

“A bit,” Korra said. “Although ibuprofen doesn’t work nearly as well as the stuff they gave me. Thing is, I can’t mix medications- I’ll have to wait for the ibuprofen to wear off before I can take my prescription.”

“I’m sorry,” Asami said, slipping her arm around Korra’s shoulders. “I wish I could do more to help.”

“That’s okay,” Korra responded with a strained smile. “I’ll just take it easy tonight.”

“What about our date?” Asami asked softly, barely even saying the words out loud.

Korra stopped dead in her tracks, throwing a hand over her mouth. “Oh shit that’s right, it’s Friday,” she cried. 

“It’s okay, we’ll just reschedule,” Asami cut in quickly. “Really, it’s fine, this is more important.” She tried to hide the disappointment threatening to seep into her voice.

“No way!” Korra declared. “Nope, not happening. I promised to go on a date with you, and I’m going on a date with you.” 

“You sure?” Asami asked. “It’s really not a big deal if you want to wait.”

Korra gave her a crooked grin. “You trying to back out on me, Sato?”

“No, of course not!” Asami responded, horrified. 

Before she could continue, Korra cut her off. “Besides, I’ve been waiting for this all week. It’s only three, I’ve got all afternoon to rest. I’m sure I’ll feel great by the time evening comes.”

* * * *

Korra did _not_ feel great by the time evening came, but she sure as hell wasn’t going to back out now. Hiding her pain from Asami, she limped to her closet to get changed.

“Uh, Asami?” she called. “What exactly are we going to be doing on this mystery date of yours?” 

“It’s a surprise! I’m not telling you,” came Asami’s answer, floating in from down the hall.

“Yes, I know _that,_ ” Korra responded. “I meant what should I wear? I’m not good at picking outfits at the best of times, and I’m going in blind here!”

Asami’s head popped around the doorway with half-completed makeup. “Here,” she said, sliding into the room. “I’ll help you out.” She turned to Korra’s temporary wardrobe, taking in the sparse selection in a matter of seconds. “Hmmmm,” she said to herself, tapping a slender foot on the floor. 

“Do you wear _nothing_ other than tank tops and sweatpants?” she burst out.

“ _Asami!_ ” Korra whined. “I’m a P.E. teacher, for crying out loud! I train with the kids, come home, go to sleep, and do it again. What do I need other clothes for?”

“For dates,” Asami shot back, still with her head buried in the closet. 

“And besides, most of my clothes are still at the apartment. I just brought what I thought I’d need,” Korra added.

“Aha!” cried Asami, emerging from the mess of clothes. She was holding a pair of light blue cargo pants that were just slightly more formal than Korra’s usual attire. 

“I forgot I had those!” Korra said, grinning. “I went through a cargo pant phase after the military- they felt familiar, I guess.”

“I think the top you’ll have to borrow from me,” Asami said, racing back into her room. Korra followed her on her crutches, the pants still slung over her shoulder.

“We don’t need anything too fancy, just nice and simple,” Asami muttered to herself, scanning the vast collection of clothes.

Korra was flabbergasted at the size of her wardrobe. “You can’t tell me you _actually_ wear all of these clothes,” she said. “I mean, that’s like a whole different outfit every day for a year!”

“That’s kinda the point,” Asami said dryly, still scanning the rows of tops. “Besides, some of this stuff is from a long time ago. I didn’t buy it all at once. Here!” she said, handing Korra a hanger. It was a simple shirt, sleeveless and with a high collar. The white material was slightly sheer, and felt cool to the touch.

“It’s a little big on me anyway, so it should fit you just fine,” Asami said. 

“Hey,” Korra commented. “This is kinda cute! I’d actually wear something like this! I mean, no offense,” she said hurriedly, realizing how the words sounded.

“None taken,” Asami responded, laughing lightly. “We have _very_ different styles. Now shoo, go change,” she said. “We’re leaving in fifteen minutes.”

Back in the bathroom, Korra examined the outfit Asami had picked for her. Casual, but not too informal. Simple, but surprisingly elegant. _Where on earth is Asami taking me,_ she thought, but the clothes didn’t yield any clues. Sighing, she realized she’d just have to wait a bit longer to find out. 

She looked at her reflection in the bathroom mirror. Same short brown hair, blue eyes, and dusky skin as always. Tilting her head, she tried to see herself from Asami’s perspective. Korra narrowed her eyes in concentration, hoping for some magical change, but… nope. It was just her usual reflection looking back at her. _I guess I have smooth skin,_ she thought, putting a hand to her cheek. _Girls like that sort of thing, don’t they? I just- I don’t understand what Asami sees in me._ Her shoulders drooping, she set out trying to tame her hair.   
Korra had to admit, it was much more manageable than its previous long length. She’d chopped it off just below her chin before starting to teach at Republic City High, wanting almost to become a new person. Surprisingly, it had helped, and although she was in a much better place mentally than she had been three years ago, she’d kept it short ever since, enjoying the lightness. 

Realizing she was running late (what else was new?), Korra hurriedly pulled on her clothes, rolling up the right pant leg so it rested just above her splint. She threw on some deodorant, checked her breath, adjusted her shirt collar. 

“Good to go!” she said, winking at herself in the mirror. Inside, however, it was taking all of her self control not to lose it on the spot. _Why am I so goddamn nervous?_ she thought, taking a deep breath and slipping out of the door. 

Her heart stopped when she saw Asami. _Oh, right, that’s why, said her brain. Because you’re going on a date with **her.**_

“You ready to go?” Asami asked. 

Korra made an odd gulping noise in her throat, unable to speak. Her eyes travelled up and down Asami’s long form. She looked exquisite, dressed in a skirt-and-top ensemble that accented her figure effortlessly. Her black shirt had a collar like Korra’s, but it was rounded and the exact shade of burgundy that matched her knee-length skirt and lipstick. 

“Wow… ” Asami breathed, clearly taking in Korra’s appearance as well.

“Yeah, I clean up pretty well,” Korra joked, striking a pose. “But are you sure I’m not too casual?” she asked, suddenly feeling a little self-conscious. “And with the crutches and splint and all… it kinda ruins the outfit… ”

“It’s perfect,” declared Asami warmly. “ _You’re_ perfect.” 

Korra blushed. “Thanks,” she said softly. Grabbing a jean jacket as she passed her room, Korra followed Asami out to her Sato-mobile, currently with the roof down. She could see a large object in the backseat, but it was covered by a large, checkered blanket.

“No peeking,” Asami chided, smirking at the petulant expression on Korra’s face. She helped her friend climb into the car, stowing her crutches in the backseat.

“So, open air tonight, huh?” Korra asked, tapping the side of the car with her knuckles. 

“Yep!” Asami responded. “And you have to wear _this,_ ” she said dramatically, whipping a bandanna around Korra’s eyes faster than she could resist.

“ _Asami!_ ” Korra protested. “Come on, do I _really_ have to wear a blindfold? Isn’t it enough of a surprise already? I swear, you’re _killing_ me!”

“Lighten up,” chuckled Asami, sliding into the driver’s seat. “It’s a quick drive. I think you’ll survive.” 

* * * *

As much as Korra would’ve hated to admit it, Asami was true to her word. They arrived at their destination only a few minutes later. _Good,_ Asami thought to herself, surveying the empty parking lot. _We’ve got it all to ourselves, just like Varrick promised._

“Hold on,” she told Korra, stepping out of the car. “I gotta take care of something real quick. And _no peeking!_ ” she shot over her shoulder. Korra hastily tugged her hand away from her blindfold. 

“Hey, Varrick,” Asami said, pressing the phone to her ear once she was sufficiently out of earshot. “I’m at the tower. Wait for my signal- it’ll take me a few minutes to get into position. You got everything under control?”

“You’re darn tootin’ I do!” came the voice from the other end. Asami could practically _hear_ his eyebrows wiggling and his mustache jumping wildly. She sighed.

“Just… don’t screw this up.”

“Come on, Sato, when have I _ever_ screwed things up?”

“Where do I start?” she responded sarcastically. But she was only teasing. Varrick had been her business partner for years, ever since her father had been thrown in jail for dealing with gangs. 

Their relationship started off a bit rocky, with the eccentric businessman actually bombing their own ships in an epic double crossing, but they’d smoothed it out in the intervening time. Asami knew Varrick meant well, he just got a little carried away sometimes. 

“Okay, bye,” she breathed into the phone, trying to calm her nerves.

“See ya!” Varrick yelled. “Zhu Li, you ready to _do the thing?_ ” she could hear him call just before he hung up. 

Taking a deep breath, she made her way back to the car. _If this doesn’t work…_ a nagging voice said in her brain. _Shut up,_ she told it. _It will._

“Finally!” Korra burst out as she heard footsteps approaching. “You were gone _forever!_ I was just about to take my blindfold off and go looking for you!”

Asami laughed. “Nope, just had to take a quick call. And that blindfold isn’t going anywhere for a bit longer,” she said, opening the door for Korra and handing her her crutches. 

“But I can’t see where I’m going!” she whined. 

“Don’t worry, I gotcha,” Asami said, placing one hand on Korra’s back while she hefted the covered object out of the backseat with the other. “I’ll tell you where to go.”

They made their way into the spacious lobby of the building. It was currently deserted, and in the fading light of evening it looked strange and timeless. Asami led Korra over to the elevators, helping her inside before pressing the top button. The doors closed with a _ping!_ and Asami pressed the top button.

“Are we in an _elevator?_ ” Korra asked, hearing the noise and feeling the ground start to rise. “Asami, where are you taking me?”

“Shhh, you’ll see in a minute,” she said, poking Korra playfully. She was trembling with excitement herself, hardly able to stand the wait.

With another small _ping!_ the elevator doors opened, and Asami guided Korra down the hall. She paused at a door unadorned aside from the small plaque that read “Sato.” She swung it open, revealing a breathtaking sight. 

They were in the new Future Industries office tower, which was nearing completion on construction. The only thing left to do was bring in all the furniture. Currently, however, it was deserted by request of Asami (relayed through Varrick). 

Her soon-to-be office was located on the top floor, with walls of floor-to-ceiling glass. It looked out right over Republic City Park, a vast expanse of trees and sculpture that was a favorite spot of many citizens. 

Asami’s favorite thing about the new office, however, could only be seen at night. The tall building faced west, meaning that on beautiful clear nights like these, one could see the sun set directly over the park. 

So far, Asami had watched the sunsets alone. But now… 

“Can I _please_ take off my blindfold?” whined Korra.

“Just a few more seconds,” Asami chuckled. “Stay right where you are.” She hurriedly set down the bulky item she’d been carrying from the car. It was a large wicker picnic basket, borrowed from Bolin, of all people. She stepped lightly over a mess of tangled cords, coming to a clear space right in front of the window. Pulling the checkered blanket off of the top of it, she spread it out on the cold office floor, placing candles on each of the four corners. Asami gently guided Korra over to the blanket, helping her sit down. Whisking out a lighter, she lit each of the candles before quickly sitting down next to Korra and pulling out her phone.

_Varrick: Ready whenever you are_

_Asami: As soon as the sun goes down_

She typed out another message, but paused, waiting to hit send.

“You ready?” she asked Korra, hardly able to keep the excitement out of her voice. Her whole body felt like one nervous ball of adrenaline. 

“You kiddin?” Korra shot back. “I’ve been waiting the whole week for this!”

 _Here goes nothing,_ thought Asami, and she whisked the blindfold off her girlfriend’s eyes.

Korra’s jaw dropped. The fiery light of the sunset illuminated the breathtaking view of the park from above. Her head swiveled wildly, trying to take in all of their surroundings at once.   
As they watched, the last bits of sunset dipped over the horizon, and the sky slowly began to fade.

“Oh!” she whispered softly. “We missed it.” The disappointment in her voice was enough to make Asami’s heart break, but it wasn’t over yet.

“I wouldn’t get too ahead of yourself,” she said with a knowing smile. 

_Asami: Ready_

There was no response from Varrick, but there didn’t need to be. Barely a second later, the park began to light up as the old-fashioned street lamps flared up. In perfect unison, thousands of fairy lights that had been strewn all around the floor of the office sparked to life, bathing the room in a surreal glow. 

Korra’s jaw dropped. Words didn’t seem enough to describe the magic of the scene. She turned to Asami, her cerulean eyes wide. They sparkled with the reflection of the fairy lights, and Asami was lost in her earnest gaze. 

Without saying a word, without even thinking at all, the two leaned in for a kiss.

The world fell away from around them as their lips met, sending sparks of passion flying. Barely daring to breathe, eyes closed, they stayed together for what seemed like an eternity. 

(“Haha!” shouted Varrick from the downstairs electrical panel, where he was watching via the security cameras. He pumped his fist in the air. “Now that was one hell of a first kiss!”  
He didn’t know that it was actually their second, but the sentiment was the same.)

Finally, as if by some unspoken agreement, they broke the kiss, each opening their eyes to the other’s flushed face.

“So,” Asami asked, finally recovering her wits enough to speak. “What do you think?”

“What do I think?” Korra responded in awe. “Asami… I think you’re the most incredible person I’ve ever met. Ever will meet, for that matter.”

Asami blushed, reaching out to take Korra’s hand. “I meant about the date, you dork. But I could say the same about you, you know,” she said. 

“All this, for me…” Korra whispered to herself, looking around in wonder as if she could still hardly believe it. 

“That’s not all,” Asami said, tugging the picnic basket toward her and flipping it open. “I’m not much of a cook, so I ended up just getting takeout… but I figured it would be okay…”

“It’s perfect,” Korra said, echoing Asami’s comment from earlier. “ _You’re_ perfect.”

They both smiled, reaching in to help themselves to the food. For a while, they ate and just talked, switching between topics as the flow of conversation took them. It didn’t really matter what they were saying… neither of them would be able to remember after that night. It was about being together, up there in the whimsical glow of the fairy lights, tingling with the excitement of something new in their relationship.

“Asami?” Korra asked later, leaning against the taller woman’s shoulder. 

“Yes?” she responded, whispering into Korra’s soft hair. 

“I’m so happy you’re my girlfriend.”

Asami laughed softly. “Me too, Korra. Me too.” With a gentle finger, she tipped Korra’s chin upward so she could kiss her again, slow and sweet. They both sighed, Korra reaching up to cup Asami’s cheek. 

Asami broke the kiss with a shiver.

“What’s wrong?” Korra asked, concern showing in her wide eyes.

“Nothing! Just a little chilly,” responded Asami, rubbing at the goosebumps on her exposed forearms. 

“Here,” said Korra, draping her denim jacket over Asami’s shoulders. Her _girlfriend’s_ shoulders, she reminded herself, still hardly believing it was real. 

Asami snuggled into the jacket gratefully, the wide shoulders draping past her own slender ones. It was warm from where it had been sitting in Korra’s lap, and Asami could smell her familiar scent on it. 

“Thanks,” she said, squeezing Korra’s hand. “Hey, how’s your ankle feeling?” she asked suddenly, realizing she’d forgotten to ask in the rush of getting ready for their date. 

“Actually, I haven’t thought about it once since we left the house,” Korra realized, unfolding her legs. She wiggled her toes experimentally.

“A little achy. But nothing compared to what it was this morning. Your kisses must be magic,” Korra said slyly, smiling up at Asami. 

“Well then I’ll just have to give you another,” she said, leaning down so that her lips met Korra’s. 

They spent the remainder of their evening just like that.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yayyyyyyyy! Sappy little gaybies on a date... my fav.
> 
> Honestly half of this fic is just me being REALLY lonely and projecting... but hey you guys seem to like it. 
> 
> Hope you enjoyed chapter 10! It's gonna be fluffy for a stretch and then I've got some good angst in the works so stay tuned.
> 
> As always, kudos and comments appreciated!  
> -H


	11. Chapter 11

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys! Soooooo... I'm back....
> 
> Yeah I'm really sorry about the wait- I just completely forgot to post. I had, like, three tests and an essay last week, so.... busy.
> 
> Anyways, hope y'all enjoyed the date chapter, it was one of my favorite things to write. 
> 
> Enjoy!

“Ko-rra,” Asami sang softly. “It’s time to wake up! Sleepyhead,” she added, chuckling at Korra’s disheveled hair and the sleep lines across her cheek. 

“Mbwah?” Korra murmured, blue eyes opening to blink blearily at Asami. 

“I’ve gotta get to my meeting,” she said, and Korra realized she was already dressed in an impeccable blazer and skirt combination. “Opal’s coming to pick you up in about twenty minutes to take you for your appointment.”

“App-pp-appointment?” Korra asked through a jaw-crushing yawn. She pushed herself into a seated position, stretching widely. 

“Doctor’s appointment,” Asami said. “We talked about this yesterday- remember?”

Korra’s eyebrows furrowed as she searched her foggy consciousness for memories of the day before. “... Right,” she said finally. “Doctor’s appointment.”

“I got the toaster out so you can make a bagel before you go,” said Asami. “But I’ve really gotta run, I’m gonna be late!”

“Wait!” Korra cried, holding up a hand. 

Asami sighed, taking a step backward back into Korra’s room. “What is it?” she asked.

“I just… wanted to say thank you. For last night,” Korra said, smiling softly. “It was… perfect.”

“You’re welcome,” said Asami, crossing the room to give Korra a kiss. Before Korra could deepen it, however, their lips parted, and Asami dashed out the door. 

“I’ll see you later!” she said. “Sorry!”

She left Korra slumped in her bed, absentmindedly fingering her lips with a blush on her dusky cheeks. 

* * * *

“So, how have you been?” Opal asked, looking over at Korra from the driver’s seat. 

“I mean, fine I guess,” Korra answered. “It’s just gonna take me a little while to heal- it’s kinda frustrating.”

“No, not that, silly!” Opal exclaimed. “I’m talking about _Asami!_ ” 

“What?” Korra asked blankly. “Wait you know about that? How did you find out?” she yelped, panic evident in her voice.

“Find out what? It was pretty obvious that you were smitten.” Opal’s eyes widened as she realized the implications of Korra’s words. “Wait… _no,_ ” she gasped. “You didn’t…”

“Didn’t what?” asked Korra, head still reeling.

“You had _sex?_ ” Opal squeaked, eyes wider than Korra had ever seen them.

“ _WHAT?_ NO, of course not!” Korra yelped, now going into a full-blown panic. “Where did you get _that_ idea from?”

“Well, you seemed embarrassed… I just figured… nevermind,” Opal said, trailing off. 

“We definitely have NOT had sex… _yet,_ ” Korra muttered to herself. “But I _do_ have some news for you, I guess.”

“Oh come on, spit it out! You’re killing me here, Korra,” Opal said. 

“Well, Asami’s my _girlfriend,_ ” Korra said, marvelling at the way the words rolled off her tongue. 

Opal squealed with excitement, practically bouncing out of her seat. “Oh my spirits! It’s finally happening! Yay, Korra, I’m so happy for you!”

“What do you mean, _finally happening?_ ” Korra said. “Raava, I wasn’t that obvious, was I?”

“Oh believe me, you were,” her friend assured her. “But don’t worry, if anything, Asami was worse. I mean, come on, don’t tell me you didn’t notice her turn bright red every time she looked at you!”

“ _Really?_ ” Korra gasped, slapping her forehead.

“Uh, _really,_ ” Opal teased. 

“Oh man, I feel like such an idiot! This whole time… we were just waiting for the other to make a move…”

Opal chuckled. If there was one thing that she knew about her friends, it was that they were all hopeless, oblivious, lovestruck fools. They were _her_ fools, though, and she loved them even more for it.

“Okay, tell me more,” she said breathlessly. “I wanna hear _everything!_ Wait, so how did it come up? Have you kissed? Gosh, Korra, this is so exciting!”

“Woah, woah, calm down there,” Korra said, laughing. “I mean, where do I start?”

“How about the hospital? I mean, you told Asami she was beautiful. That send any sparks flying?”

“I _WHAT?_ ” Korra yelled with such force that Opal almost crashed the car.

“Raava, Korra, calm down-.”

“Hold on _just a minute!_ I told Asami WHAT?”

“You said she was beautiful,” Opal said casually. “It was right after you woke up from surgery-, I think you were pretty high on pain meds.”

“ _Pretty_ high? Spirits, I’m never touching painkillers again! I knew I was _thinking_ that but… saying it out _loud?_ To Asami’s _face?_ ”

“Well, hey, it worked out- you guys are dating, remember?”

“... I guess,” Korra muttered.

“Oh come on, it was super sweet. She totally blushed!”

Now Korra was the one blushing, unwilling to meet Opal’s eyes. 

“Ugh, you are the _cutest,_ ” she gushed. “You and Asami are perfect for each other! Just wait until I tell Bolin!”

“Actually, I was wondering if you could wait,” Korra cut in. “I don’t know, Asami and I haven’t really talked about telling other people yet- I just wanna make sure we’re on the same page.”

“Ugh, fine,” Opal huffed. “But you better be quick- I don’t think I can keep it a secret for long!”

“Honestly, I don’t think I can either,” Korra chuckled. “Opal, I’m just so _happy,_ ” she said, turning to look at the other woman. “She makes me feel amazing, you know? She makes me feel _special._ ”

Opal smiled, taking in Korra’s earnest expression. “You two are going to make an _amazing_ couple.”

* * * *

Asami heard a car door slam. There was a pause, and then the front doorbell rang. 

“Coming!” she called, pushing her sweaty goggles up onto the top of her head. Pulling off her gloves, she made her way to the front door.

“Hey, Asami!” said Korra brightly as the door swung open.

“You know, I should really just get a spare key made,” Asami said, shutting the door behind Korra. “It would make this a whole lot easier.”

“Yeah… about that,” Korra said. 

“What, is something wrong?” Asami asked, concerned.

“Well, the appointment went well… ” Korra started.

“That’s great news, Korra, what are you talking about?”

“... it went so well that they said… I can probably handle living on my own again.”

Asami was silent, processing Korra’s words. “Oh. Okay then,” she said softly, feeling like she’d been socked in the stomach. “When are you… when are you planning on leaving?”

Korra looked up in distress. “Planning on leaving? I hadn’t even considered it! But I mean- if it’s- I can- if that’s what you want… ” she said hurriedly.

“No, oh, don’t take that the wrong way!” Asami exclaimed. “I’ve loved having you live with me. It’s like… having a family again, almost,” she said softly, more to herself than to Korra. “I just… I’m not used to anyone _wanting_ to stay.” 

“Oh, ‘Sami,” Korra said, drawing Asami into a hug. “I’ll always stay.”

Asami gave a small sniff, wiping at a tear she was pretending not to notice. She didn’t realize that her hands were still greasy from the workshop, however, and the action left a dark smudge under her eye. 

“You’ve got a little somethin’ there,” Korra said, gesturing at the smudge. Asami’s eyes widened, and she rubbed at the spot. However, this succeeded only in making the smudge worse. Korra giggled.

“Here, lemme get that for you,” she said, reaching up to gently wipe Asami’s cheek with her thumb. 

“Thanks,” Asami murmured. 

Korra shifted gently on her crutches, wrapping her arms around Asami’s waist. 

Asami let her head rest on Korra’s shoulder. “Hey, what’s this?” she asked, eyes drawn to Korra’s ankle.

“Oh! You like my new cast?” Korra responded, sticking out her leg for closer examination. “They got rid of the splint- it was only temporary anyway.”

As Asami looked at the white expanse, an idea popped into her head. “Would you be terribly upset if your cast didn’t stay so… blank?” she asked slyly.

“No….” responded Korra, recognizing her girlfriend’s scheming tone. “Asami, what are you thinking?”

“Go sit in the living room. I’ll be right back,” the mechanic said, dashing off. Korra sighed, once again resigning herself to wait for Asami’s wild ideas. Hobbling over to the couch, she plopped down heavily. 

She caught on to Asami’s idea, however, when the woman came dashing back with a sharpie in hand. 

“So! You’re gonna sign my cast,” Korra said triumphantly, pointing a finger at her girlfriend’s chest. 

“Not just sign it…” Asami replied, pausing dramatically. “I’m gonna _draw_ on it. Hold on… lemme think for a minute.” She pulled the cap off of the sharpie. 

Korra could practically see the wheels turning in Asami’s brain.

“Ugh, I give up,” she said after a few moments. “What do you want me to draw?”

“What is it with you artists?” Korra chuckled. “You doodle all over things when you’re not supposed to be, but the minute you’re actually _allowed_ to draw on something you can’t think of anything.”

“Well, I wouldn’t consider myself an _artist,_ ” said Asami. “I mean, I know anatomy and perspective and stuff. So I can do blueprints and sketches. But that’s all.”

“Ha. Nice try, ‘Sami, but I’ve seen your sketchbook. You’re _definitely_ an artist.”

“You’ve seen my _sketchbook?_ ” Asami yelped. 

Korra tilted her head, confused. “Yeah? The one with all the anatomy poses and stuff? It was _really_ good.”

“Did it have a red cover or a blue cover?” Asami asked frantically. “Korra?”

“Red,” she responded. “What’re you freaking out about?”

“Oh, thank _Raava,_ ” breathed Asami, ignoring Korra’s question.

“What’s in the blue sketchbook? Secret codes? _Nudes?_ ” Korra asked playfully.

Asami laughed, giving her a playful shove. “You’re so _dirty,_ ” she said. “It’s a _sketchbook,_ it has sketches in it.”

“No shit,” Korra said, smirking. “Of _what?_ ” 

Asami shook her head, curls bouncing. “Nothing that will ever see the light of day,” she said, blushing.

“Oh cmon, it can’t be that awful! What are you afraid of?”

Asami ducked her head, letting her hair hide her face.

“Well it can’t be _bad,_ since you’re an amazing artist. But why would you be embarrassed?” Korra asked, going into full sleuth mode. “Is it, like, fanart or something? Are you part of some super embarrassing fandom or something and you drew yourself with the main character?”

“While I definitely _have_ done that before, no, not this time,” Asami said, chuckling.

“Ok then, what else? What would Asami be embarrassed to show me?” Korra pondered. 

“Cmon, what do you want me to draw on your cast?” asked Asami, tapping Korra’s leg with the sharpie. 

“Hey, hey, hey, no changing the subject.”

“Oh, just leave me in peace,” Asami grumbled, scowling. It was such an unusual expression for her that Korra chuckled. 

“Okay… how about you draw…” Korra paused, eyes skimming the room. “Naga!” 

The dog’s ears perked up at hearing her name, and she wagged her tail. 

Asami tilted her head. “I haven’t done much practice with animals,” she said hesitantly. “But hey, I’ll give it a shot.” 

“That’s the spirit,” Korra said, leaning back to allow Asami access to her cast.

“Ugh, this is so complicated,” Asami said, craning her neck to look at the dog curled up across the room. Sticking out her tongue in concentration, she sketched a simple outline of Naga’s shape, working with small, delicate strokes.

Korra watched her work with a slight smile on her face, enjoying the opportunity to study Asami uninterrupted. There was an expression of deep concentration etched on Asami’s face, and her eyebrows were furrowed as she glanced from her drawing, to Naga, and back again. A loose tendril of hair fell in front of her face, and she brushed it away impatiently. 

“That’s really good!” Korra exclaimed, twisting her head sideways to look at the drawing. “You got her face like, perfect!”

“Thanks,” said Asami, blushing. Without waiting for another suggestion, she started sketching again, this time covering more ground. “Here, move your leg a bit,” she said. “I gotta get to the back part.”

Korra flipped over onto her stomach, letting her cast rest in Asami’s lap. She could feel the gentle tickling sensation of the sharpie as she pillowed her head on her arms. 

“That feels nice,” she murmured, letting her eyes close. 

Lost in her drawing, Asami didn’t respond. She concentrated on the image in her head, trying to let it take shape. With simple lines, she created a familiar office view, sunset, treetops, silhouetted skyline and all. _What the hell,_ she thought, pen poised above the cast. Breathlessly, she added two tiny figures, snuggled up against each other on a picnic blanket, looking out at the view. 

“Your masterpiece done yet?” asked Korra from her stretched out position. Asami jumped, having gotten lost in her thoughts. 

“Yep,” she said, blushing a little. Korra pushed herself up, twisting awkwardly around to try to see the back of her cast. She caught sight of the skyline, and the two tiny people, and she gasped. 

“Aw, ‘Sami, it’s us! On our date!” she exclaimed. 

“You like it?”

“It’s _beautiful._ ”

Korra scooted her way onto Asami’s lap, giving her a gentle kiss.

“Korra?” Asami asked, breaking contact.

“What?” she replied.

“You got anything to do today?”

“No, not really… why don’t we just stay here?”

“I was thinking _exactly_ the same thing.

* * * *

“I’ve been thinking,” Korra said.

“Hmm?” Asami murmured, snuggling up closer. They were still on the couch, having fallen asleep on top of each other after the impromptu art session. 

“Do you mind if I start telling people about… us?” Korra asked shyly.

“I was actually meaning to bring that up,” Asami responded. “I’m ready whenever you are, Korra. I don’t wanna make a huge public announcement or anything… but we should let our friends know at least. Especially since we work with them,” she added, chuckling.

“Oh, good,” Korra sighed in relief. “Because I told Opal already- I just couldn’t help myself! I made her promise not to tell anyone else yet though.”

“Well if Opal knows, Bolin knows,” Asami commented with a chuckle. “But honestly, I don’t mind.”

Korra furrowed her eyebrows. “You know who’s gonna be a little awkward about this whole thing….”

“ _Mako,_ ” Asami said with a groan. “Oh, spirits, I didn’t even think about that.” 

Part of the girls’ complicated past had to do with the fact that they had both dated Mako in the past, and the lines between each relationship ending were pretty blurred. Now that Korra thought about it, she would’ve never even _met_ Asami if it wasn’t for Mako.

“Maybe we should have Bolin tell him,” Asami continued. “That way he can… digest it a little before he has to be around us.”

“I mean, I guess,” Korra said. “His heart’s in the right place- I’m sure he’ll be happy for us. Mako’s just a little… awkward sometimes.”

Asami chuckled. “You’ve got that right. Remember how he acted around us after he got together with you? He couldn’t get through more than one sentence!”

“To be fair, it was pretty awkward for me, too,” Korra said. “I mean, I kinda just swooped in and took him- you didn’t even really _break up,_ not officially.”

Asami shrugged. “Yeah… but hey, all that’s in the past. _We’re_ together now.”

“You’re damn right,” Korra said, leaning in for a kiss. “Okay, I’ll text Bolin and tell him to give Mako a heads up.”

* * * *

Sunday dawned bright and early, with Asami rattling around in the kitchen making pancakes. 

“Well, would ya look at that,” Korra commented, slouching into the kitchen with a yawn. “She actually eats!”

“Don’t be silly- of course I eat,” Asami countered. “But anyway, these are for you.”

Korra blushed immediately. “Aw, thanks ‘Sami, you didn’t have to do that!”

“I wanted to,” she said simply. Piling a stack of steaming pancakes on a plate, she set them down in front of Korra at the kitchen table. 

“Syrup or whipped cream?” she asked, tugging open the fridge. 

“Both!” Korra replied enthusiastically, “and butter too if you have it.”

Asami retrieved the requested condiments and sat down across from Korra, sipping at her usual morning latte. She watched the woman tuck into her pancakes with gusto, slathering them with whipped cream and butter and practically drowning them in syrup.

“Wanna bite?” Korra asked, cheeks bulging. Asami looked dubiously at the sugary concoction. She had just opened her mouth to politely decline when she was silenced by a mouthful of pancake. 

“Gotcha!” said Korra gleefully, removing her fork from Asami’s mouth. Her girlfriend spluttered, trying to respond around the food.

“Hey…” she said, pausing to chew and swallow. “That actually wasn’t too bad. Could use about half the amount of syrup, though.”

“You’ll see,” Korra declared, waving her fork around. “I’ll make a breakfast-eater out of you yet!”

Asami just smiled at Korra over the top of her cup of coffee. 

The buzz of her phone interrupted the moment. 

“Oh, perfect!” she exclaimed, tapping out a response. 

“What?” asked Korra, craning her neck to try to see across the table. 

“I figured we could use some help packing up your stuff and driving it over here. My car’s pretty small in terms of space for boxes.”

“That still doesn’t explain who you were texting.”

“Bolin and Opal. They’re gonna meet us at your apartment later and help. Oh, also I think Mako’s coming too.”

“Oh! Okay,” said Korra, a little surprised. She shrugged, realizing she should’ve expected it- Asami was _always_ thinking ahead. “What time?”

“Afternoon, I think. I said they could stay over for dinner- that work for you?” asked Asami.

“Yeah, sounds good. I wanna get in a workout today- it’ll give me some time to get showered before we head over,” Korra said, grinning.

“Okay, well, don’t push yourself _too_ hard,” Asami cautioned, giving Korra a gentle kiss on the top of her head as she got up. “We can’t have you re-injuring your ankle.”

“Yes, _mom,_ ” Korra joked. Suddenly, her hand flew up over her mouth. “Shit- Asami, I haven’t called my parents! I promised I’d talk to them!”

“About what- us? Is there a problem? Will they be okay with- you know...?” Asami’s questions came thick and fast.

“No, not that,” Korra said, and Asami exhaled in relief. “No, I was talking about my ankle. I didn’t tell my parents about it yet- they can only use the landline and since I haven’t been home…”

Korra’s parents lived in the South Pole, where they were conducting marine biology research. Since the cell signal was pretty spotty at their station, the only way to communicate was by email, or an occasional call on the landline. Korra’s last email to them was on the first day of school, but it had been two weeks, a broken ankle, and a new relationship since then. Even worse, she vaguely remembered promising to call on Friday. Friday a week ago. 

“Shit!” she said again, and Asami rubbed a soothing hand on her shoulder. 

“I’m sure it’ll be fine,” she said. “Besides, I think Tenzin let them know about the accident already.”

“Oh, that just makes it a thousand times worse!” groaned Korra. “If I’d played it right, I might’ve gotten away with not telling them at all- could’ve made up an excuse for why I forgot to email.”

“Korra, they’re your parents! They deserve to know what’s going on.”

“Well, I can’t spring all of this on them at once! I could’ve just skipped the broken ankle part and focused on our relationship instead.”

“How would you explain moving in with me?” Asami countered. “Just face it Korra, you were gonna have to tell them at some point.”

Korra groaned. “How much did Tenzin tell them?”

“Oh, I dunno. He mentioned it pretty offhand- I think he told them there was an injury at school and that you were getting surgery. Oh, and that you were staying with me.”

“He told them about _surgery?_ ” Korra yelped, shooting up out of her chair. “Oh, this is bad. Where the heck did I put my laptop?” she asked, looking around wildly.

“It’s in your room,” Asami said soothingly, placing a hand around Korra’s shoulders. “Come on, I’ll help you respond. If I’m being completely honest, you should probably call them too- you owe them that much.”

Korra sighed. “You’re right. Ugh, I’m the worst daughter ever! I can’t _believe_ I forgot to check my email, much less call them…”

“I think that’s a little dramatic,” Asami said, smiling. She led Korra down the hall to her room, where she flopped down on the bed. 

“My laptop’s over there,” Korra said, pointing to a mess of cords and random clothes spilling out of an open drawer. 

“You’ve really got to clean this up,” Asami said, digging gingerly through a pile of dirty socks. 

“To be fair, I wasn’t expecting to be staying here for good. Didn’t see the point in organizing if I was just gonna shove it all back into a suitcase anyway,” responded Korra, opening up her laptop carefully. “Okay, here goes,” she said, clicking on the mail app.

There were over 25 unread messages. Korra held her breath, opening each one up carefully.

“Spam, spam, school, promo code, school, ah…. Parents,” she said, stopping. Skimming the emails, she could feel her guilt rising. They started out concerned, but by the time she got to the most recent emails they were verging on hysterical. 

“Whoops,” Korra said quietly. 

“Oh, no, they’ve been calling too?” Asami said, reading over her girlfriend’s shoulder. 

“Yeah, they can only use the landline, but since I haven’t been home…” Korra trailed off, biting her nails.

“Stop that,” Asami said, pushing Korra’s hand away from her mouth. “Okay, do you know their number? I have a landline in my office we can use.”

“Yeah… hold on, what time is it there? I don’t wanna wake them up in the middle of the night,” Korra said. 

“Korra, I’m pretty sure being woken up in the middle of the night is the _least_ of their concerns right now,” Asami chuckled. “ _I_ think you’re just trying to avoid calling them.”

“Am not!”

“You are too!”

“Am _not!_ ”

“Come on, let’s at least leave them a message,” Asami said, grabbing Korra’s hand and pulling her off the bed. Grumbling, Korra grabbed her crutches and limped along, following Asami down the hall to her office. Asami pulled out her chair, and Korra gratefully sat down, dialing the number. She paused. 

“ _Korra,_ ” Asami said. “Come on, you can do it…”

“I can’t!” she said, burying her face in Asami’s shirt. “I can’t do it! My mom’s gonna yell- have you ever heard my mom when she gets angry? She’s worse than Tenzin!”

Asami couldn’t really imagine anything worse than Tenzin’s tomato-red, eye-bulging outbursts, but she kept that thought to herself. Quicker than Korra could react, she hit the dial button and shoved the phone into her girlfriend’s hands. 

It rang once, twice, a third time. 

“I think they’re asleep,” Korra mouthed, moving to hang up the phone. “We’ll do it tomorr… ohhhhhhh, hi mom! Ha- uhhh, I mean, um, how’s it going?” she said sheepishly.

Asami could hear Senna’s voice as if the woman was in the room with them.

“KORRA! Oh my spirits, Korra, you SCARED us! Disappearing like that- we get an email from Tenzin saying you’re getting SURGERY, and then don’t hear ANYTHING for a WEEK, and I emailed EVERY DAY, and leave you TWENTY messages and ....” 

Korra jumped back in shock, very nearly upending the office chair. She held the phone about a foot away from her ear and turned to Asami with a look that screamed I-told-you-so. Wincing, she tried to cut her mother off.

“Mom, I-”

“You at LEAST could have had the DECENCY to respond to an EMAIL! Just ONE LOUSY EMAIL, that’s all I-”

“Mom, could you just-”

“Where even ARE you, by the way? Don’t you DARE tell me you’re staying with your cousins, they-”

“Mom, will you shut up for just one second!” Korra cried, exasperated. 

The silence on the other end of the phone was deafening. 

“ _Thank you,_ ” Korra said, huffing. “Now can you _please_ give me a minute to explain?”

“Fine,” said Senna in a voice sharp enough to shatter glass.

“What your mother is trying to say,” came the voice of Korra’s father, “is that we were both _very_ worried about you, and would _love_ to hear what is going on. _Preferably straight from you._ ”

“Oh, dad, I’m so sorry,” murmured Korra, finally breaking down. Asami wrapped her arms silently around Korra as her face crumpled. “I meant to call you, I really did! I just- things have been so crazy over the last week- and I wasn’t at home- it just- spirits, I’m the _worst!_ ”

“Shhh,” Asami whispered comfortingly in Korra’s ear. “It’s okay.”

“It’s okay, sweetheart” said Tonraq, echoing Asami’s words. “Your mother and I love you very much. We’re just worried, that’s all. Just start from the beginning.”

“Okay,” Korra said, swiping a sleeve across her face. “So, um, I guess I start with… when was it?” she asked, turning to Asami.

“Last Friday,” she said encouragingly. 

“Who’s that talking?” came Senna’s voice. 

“It’s Asami- I’ll get to that in a minute,” Korra said. “Okay, so it was last Friday, I dunno, I had a bit of a trampoline incident in one of the classes. It wasn’t that big of a deal, I swear!”

“Well, according to Tenzin, you needed surgery…” said her father, “so I’d say that’s a pretty big deal.”

“It was,” Asami confirmed, pulling the phone away from Korra. She put it on speaker so they could both talk. “From what I’ve heard, there was a kid who tried to mess with one of the girls on the trampoline- and it could’ve gone _disastrously_ wrong. If Korra hadn’t jumped in to catch her, she would’ve landed on her head.”

“And that’s when you got hurt, Korra?” came a voice from the other end, softly.

“Yeah, that pretty much sums it up,” she responded. “But honestly, Asami’s making me sound all heroic- anyone would’ve done the same thing. It’s my _job._ ”

“I don’t know sweetheart,” came her father’s voice. “Sounds pretty heroic to me. That’d be our Korra,” he said with a touch of pride, and Asami could practically hear his chest swelling. 

“You still haven’t told us about _surgery,_ ” her mother said pointedly, but there was an edge of concern to her voice now.

“Yeah, it was a pretty bad break, apparently,” said Korra. “What was it again- my tibia or something?” she asked, looking to Asami.

“Fibula,” she corrected. “Although you fractured your tibia too- but at least that one stayed in place.” Korra slapped her palm to her forehead.

“ _Shouldn't've told them that,_ ” she whispered, shooting Asami a pained look as her mother blew up again.

“Stayed in PLACE? These are your BONES we’re talking about!” This time, however, it was concern and not anger they could hear in her voice. 

“Mom, it’s fine,” Korra said, trying her best to sound soothing while still glaring at Asami. “Calm down, okay? I had surgery like a week ago, the doctors were amazing, I’m recovering great, it’s all okay.”

“Where have you been staying?” her father asked, taking over the conversation from Senna. 

“At Asami’s… actually, I have something to tell you guys,” Korra said, nervously twisting her hands in her lap. Asami placed a gentle hand on top of hers.

“If this has anything to do with more broken bones I don’t know about…” Senna muttered darkly, and Korra chuckled.

“No, mom, there’s no other broken bones. Raava, I wish I didn’t have to do this over the phone…”

“Sweetheart, whatever it is, you can tell us,” her father said.

Korra took a deep breath.

“So, you remember Asami, right? She teaches at school with me?”

“Of _course_ we remember her,” said her father, “she was that smartie that taught physics, really damn se-”

“O-kay, I’m gonna stop you right there, whatever you’re about to say,” said Korra. “Dad, she’s standing _right here._ She can hear you.”

“Oh!” said her father. “Um, anyway…”

“Yes, anyway,” Korra continued. “Okay, so what I wanted to say… well, the thing is… I mean, I don’t wanna take you by surprise… like I said, we’re living together at the moment… so, we’ve gotten pretty close… well, we’ve been getting close for a while now. Ugh! Why is this so hard?” she broke off in frustration. “What I’m _trying_ to say here is that… Asami and I are… we’re together.”

For once, Tonraq had nothing to say. For a few seconds, there was simply no response.

“That’s _wonderful,_ ” gushed Korra’s mom. “Korra, I’m so happy for you!”

“Aw, thanks, mom,” said Korra, relieved.

“Wait, is Asami still there? Can I talk to her?”

“Yes, I’m here,” answered Asami, blushing. 

“Asami!” Senna cried. “Oh, honey, I’m so happy. Korra has told me so many wonderful things about you- I’m looking forward to visiting again soon. Oh, and you’ll just _have_ to spend Christmas with us!” she gushed.

“Mom, don’t get ahead of yourself!” Korra whined. Asami mouthed “ _so many wonderful things?_ ” at her, and now it was Korra’s turn to blush. “ _It was one time!_ ” she mouthed back in protest.

“Dad?” Korra said uncertainly. “Dad, are you still there?”

“Yes, Korra, I’m here,” came a voice from the phone. “I love you.” That was all he said, but it was enough for Korra.

“Okay guys, I’ve gotta go,” she said. “But I love you so much, and I _swear_ I’ll check my email from now on. Oh, and you might wanna write down this number… I’ll be staying with Asami for a while.”

“Aw, that sounds wonderful,” Senna said. “I love you very much, Korrabear. Talk to you soon.” There was a click as she hung up, ending the call.

“ _Korrabear?_ ” Asami asked with an evil glint in her eye.

“Oh, nooooo,” Korra groaned. “Don’t tell me _you’re_ gonna start using that ridiculous nickname too?”

“Oh, I’m gonna use it _all the time,_ ” promised a smirking Asami. “Just you wait… Korrabear.”

“You’re all crazy,” said Korra, slapping a hand to her forehead. “Now if you’ll excuse me, I have a workout to get to.” 

She made a big production of flouncing out of the room, but secretly she was blushing. Korra would rather die than admit it, but hearing _Korrabear_ come out of Asami’s mouth was almost too cute to handle. _God, I’m so in love with her,_ she thought, with a small, secret smile.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And there you have it! 
> 
> I have a couple chapters more and then a HUGE gap... and then some real crazy shit goes down.   
> So this fic might take a quick break while I get my life together and figure out how to connect the two parts. Don't worry, I'll warn you guys in advance if I need a break. 
> 
> As always, kudos and comments appreciated!
> 
> -H


	12. Chapter 12

“This isn’t gonna be… weird for you, is it?” Bolin asked his brother cautiously. “You know, with Korra and Asami being… together?”

“I’ll be fine,” Mako said, crossing his arms over his chest.

“You sure, bro? Cuz you don’t have to come if you don’t want to…”

“Bolin, I told you, I’m fine!” Mako said, exasperated. “Look, I appreciate the concern, but it’s been a long time since I’ve dated Korra _or_ Asami. And we’re all still on good terms. I’ll admit I was a little taken by surprise when you first told me, but what should I have expected? I wasn’t planning on getting back together with either of them anyway!”

“Okay, okay, sheesh,” Bolin said, raising his hands placatingly. “You know bro, now that I think of it, you’re the only one who’s still single…” he commented, tapping his chin. “We might just have to do something about that.”

Mako groaned. “Bo, I do _not_ need you playing matchmaker for me,” he said. “Besides, today isn’t the day- we’re supposed to be helping Korra.” 

“Right, right,” Bolin said, recovering from his momentary distraction. He stuck his head down the hall, calling “Opal? Ready to go?”

“Yeah, coming!” she shouted back. “Hold on, just gotta find my keys!” They’d agreed to take Opal’s car, since it was the biggest and would allow room for more of Korra’s stuff. 

“Okay, come on, let’s go,” Opal said, wrapping an arm around Bolin’s waist as they made their way out the door.

 _Maybe I do need a girlfriend,_ thought Mako, watching the pair. He sighed to himself. _That’s a problem for another day._

* * * *

Somehow, Korra made it up the three flights of stairs to her apartment, cast, crutches, and all.

“Phew,” she said when they got to the top. “That was as much of a workout as the one I did earlier!” Asami grabbed the apartment keys and took care of opening the door, letting Korra flop gratefully down on the couch. 

“So… this is your apartment,” she said, eyes travelling around the room to take it in. Korra had spent plenty of time at Asami's house before- usually for some school-related function. But she didn’t think Asami had ever actually seen the inside of _her_ apartment. 

“Yeah, it’s really messy right now,” Korra responded, blushing. “And small. But, ya know, it’s home.”

“I think it’s wonderful,” commented Asami, casually trailing a hand along the kitchen counter. Korra smiled.

“‘Kay… what should I pack?” she asked, drawn back to the task at hand. “I mean, am I like moving _out,_ like turning in the keys and taking all my stuff and not paying anymore?” 

“I mean, it’s up to you,” Asami said. “Money’s not a problem- if you still wanna keep the apartment just as another option, you’re welcome to. It _is_ pretty early in our relationship…”

“Somehow I don’t think we’ll have any problems with that,” Korra said, smiling. Despite their official relationship having just begun, the two women had been _very_ close for several years already. They just seemed to _get_ each other, and Korra didn’t foresee them being plagued with petty arguments that so often took hold of couples who moved in together. 

“I guess you’re right,” Asami replied, thinking much the same thing.

“But if you don’t mind, I’d still like to keep this place,” Korra said. “I dunno, it’s just… sentimental for me, I guess. Plus on a more practical note, if my parents ever come visit they can stay here instead of in a hotel.”

“That’s a great idea. And really, it’s no problem at all,” said Asami, smiling warmly. 

A knock on the door ended their conversation.

“Hey guys, door’s open!” Korra called cheerfully. “Come on in!”

They could hear chattering voices as Opal, Bolin, and Mako made their way down the hall. There was a loud clang, followed by muffled cursing.

“Ouch!” Bolin exclaimed, hopping on one foot into the living room. “Jeez, Korra, what’s that giant vase doing there anyway? It’s just _waiting_ for someone to stub a toe!”

“Sorry, Bo!” she said, twisting over the back of the couch to survey the damage. “Stupid vase- I’ve been wanting to get rid of it for months. It was a gift from Ambassador Wu, and I can’t seem to find a place for it _anywhere._ Wish you had broken it- then I’d at least have a good reason to throw it away.”

Asami gave a tinkling laugh that made Korra’s heart flutter. “Well, I don’t think it really matches the decor at my place, so I think we might be able to get away with ditching it,” she said.

“Hey, Korra, good to see you,” Opal said, dragging Mako into the living room with her. “We’re ready to get moving!”

Korra chuckled. “It might be a little while before we actually get to loading the car,” she said. “Haven’t started packing yet, so…”

“How can we help?” Bolin asked.

“We can start in my room, I guess,” Korra responded, heaving herself up off the couch. Asami waited for her to take the lead, following close behind her down another hall. 

“Okie dokie, here it is!” said Korra, flicking on the lights. It was a small room, and the group crowded in. Asami made a beeline for the dresser, where she could see several framed photos lined up along the top. 

“Aww, this is so sweet,” she commented, holding up a picture of a young Korra with both of her parents. Those unmistakable blue eyes and crooked grin peeked out from behind her mother’s skirt, and her father was holding one chubby little hand. 

“Oh, yeah,” Korra said, blushing. “I think I was around three… it’s one of my mom’s favorite pictures of us.”

“Look, it’s us!” Bolin exclaimed, picking up another photo. This one was of the two brothers and Korra, in their sports uniforms. Asami was struck by how _young_ Korra seemed in the photo. Her physical appearance wasn’t all that different, but the look in her eyes seemed so innocent and naive. 

Directly in contrast to this was a circular photo of Korra in her officer’s uniform. Her hair was pulled tightly back, and Asami could see a bitter, weary look in her eyes.

“When was this taken?” she asked softly, holding up the picture for Korra to see. 

“Oh, that,” Korra said, fidgeting a bit. “Right after my… well it was at the ceremony for my discharge,” she said, clearly uncomfortable with the subject. 

“Ah,” Asami said, realizing it must have been just after Korra was paralyzed. She quickly changed the subject. “So, what are we packing first?”

“Well, we can start with clothes, I guess,” Korra said. “Honestly, I’m not even sure what’s in that closet anymore… a lot of it can probably go to goodwill.”

“Here,” said Opal, shoving a few giant boxes into the room. Bolin tossed her a sharpie. “We can make separate boxes for stuff that’s going to Asami’s and stuff to donate.”

“Sounds good to me! Korra, lemme help you with that,” said Asami, trying to make her way over the closet. Korra was pulling hard on the doors, her crutches getting in the way of her efforts. 

“They… always….get… stuck,” she panted, yanking sideways. “Gahh!” she panted in frustration, making one last desperate heave. The movement sent the doors sliding open, and Korra teetered wildly, losing her grip on her crutches. 

Instinctively, Mako jumped in and caught her. 

“Hey there,” Korra said awkwardly, looking up at her former boyfriend. “Thanks for, uh… catching me.”

“No- no problem,” he muttered, quickly letting go of her waist. Asami chuckled from her vantage point sandwiched between the bed and the dresser.

“I think it’s getting a little crowded in here,” Opal pointed out. “Mako, why don’t you come with me- we can pull this dresser outside and empty it in the hall.”

“Sure,” he said gratefully, heading for the dresser. With Bolin’s help, the brothers heaved it into the hallway. 

“I’ll help Korra start on the closet,” Asami offered, freed from her position in the corner of the room.

“And I’ll go get some food!” Bolin announced. “What? It’s afternoon snack time!”

“Help yourself,” Korra smirked, “but I doubt there’s much of anything left. Everything in the fridge is bound to be expired.”

“Oh, I’ll rustle something up,” Bolin said confidently. Asami giggled.

Pretty quickly, the group set into a rhythm. Korra sprawled out on her bed, sorting through clothes that Asami pulled off of hangers and tossed to her. The boxes, neatly labelled “Asami’s” and “donations,” sat at the foot of the bed for Korra to dump clothes into. 

“You know, you really should be folding those,” Asami commented, looking into the rumpled mess of the boxes.

“I’m folding the donation ones perfectly nicely!” Korra protested. “But the ones going to your house I’m just gonna have to unpack and fold again- might as well not waste my time doing it now.”

Asami chuckled, making a mental note to never let Korra pack for her on a vacation. _Don’t get ahead of yourself, silly,_ she thought. _It’s a little early to be thinking about vacations, isn’t it?_ Vague conversation floated in from the hall, where Opal and Mako were sorting through Korra’s dresser. Every now and then, one of them would poke their head through the door to ask about a certain possession of Korra’s.

“Korra, what exactly do you want me to do with this?” Mako asked, holding a strange object aloft. It was what seemed to be an old, faded, lumpy stuffed dog, its features barely discernible from years of wear and tear. 

“Puddles!” yelled Korra, lunging for the toy. “Oh my goodness, I didn’t even realize I still had him!”

“Puddles?” asked Mako, looking askance at the raggedy object.

“Yeah, he was like my security blanket when I was little, I took him _everywhere._ I found him outside in the snow one day- that’s why I called him Puddles. Gosh, my mom _hated_ this thing.”

“That’s really sweet,” said Asami, leaning over Korra’s shoulder to give the stuffed animal a cautious pat. “Puddles looks like he’s seen better days, though.”

“Puddles is well-loved,” Korra said indignantly, clutching him to her chest. She shot a glare at Mako, who was shaking his head in disbelief.

“Hey, you’re the one who wore that same red scarf every day!” she fired off, giving a crooked grin.

“That’s different!” he exclaimed, “And besides, that scarf was my mother’s.”

“Low blow, Korra,” Asami teased, knowing that her girlfriend was fully aware of the backstory of Mako’s scarf.

“Hey, Korra, do you think this ramen is still edible?” called Bolin’s muffled voice from the kitchen.

“Is it open or not?” she yelled back.

“Open!”

“I’d probably chuck it,” Korra responded, and a disappointed whine came floating down the hall. “Sorry, but it’s been sitting there for like a month now.” 

Asami wrinkled her nose at the thought of month old ramen. The others, however, didn’t seem fazed.

“Is there a heater up here?” Opal called from the hall. “It’s getting kinda chilly.” Even though it was only late September, fall was in full swing in Republic City. This brought the usual crisp chill in the air, and the wooden floors were cold underfoot.

“Sorry, it’s an old building,” Korra said. “No heating or ac. I’ve got an old heater tucked away somewhere though, if you wanna go look for it.”

“Oh, that’s okay,” Opal responded, peeking her head around the door. “Can I just borrow a sweatshirt or something?” 

“Sure!” Korra said, tossing her an olive green hoodie. “This work?” Asami watched with a pang of jealousy as Opal shrugged on her girlfriend’s clothes.

“You want one too?” Korra asked teasingly, catching on to Asami’s jealous glare.

“Oh! No… I’m fine,” she said unconvincingly.

“Here, take this one,” said Korra, chucking another sweatshirt, this time blue, at her girlfriend’s head. Asami wasted no time in shrugging it on, pulling the zipper up all the way and burying her face in the soft material. It was full of Korra’s smell, and Asami thought privately that she never wanted to take it off.

“You look good in blue,” commented Korra. 

It caught Asami off guard, and she blushed. “Well, if it means stealing your clothes, maybe I’ll wear blue more often…” she said coyly.

“Quit it with the flirting in there!” Opal joked. “You’re confusing Mako.”

“Hey!” he yelped. “I’m not confused. I know how flirting works!”

“Oh really,” said Korra dryly. “This is coming from the guy who had to _write out_ one liners for arresting criminals.”

“That was one time!” he protested. “You guys are never gonna let me live that down, are you.”

“Never!” yelled Bolin from the kitchen. They could hear his feet padding down the hall. “Guys look! I found pretzels!” 

“Ooh, gimme some!” Korra shouted, opening her mouth wide. 

“Incoming!” Bolin called, lobbing a pretzel in an arc toward Korra’s open mouth. She missed, catching it in her hands instead.

“Try again, try again!” she said, chewing and swallowing.

Bolin furrowed his eyebrows, sticking out his tongue in concentration. He took careful aim, hefted the pretzel a few times, and then swung back and released. 

_Chomp!_ It flew straight into Korra’s mouth, vanishing instantly as she munched away.

“Good one!” Mako called, watching from the hall. 

“It’s been a while since I’ve been in the sporting arena, but I’ve still got it,” Bolin boasted, flexing a bicep impressively.

“Oh, please,” Korra said dismissively. “That was all me!”

“Was not!” said Bolin indignantly.

“Was too!”

“Was _not!_ ”

“Okay, break it up there,” Asami called, chuckling. “The ref calls a time out. I think it’s about time we all take a break anyway.”

The group gratefully agreed, and they trooped into Korra’s living room to plop down on the tiny couch. 

“I call dibs!” Korra yelled, diving onto it headfirst.

“Hey, no fair!” whined Bolin.

Opal laid a hand on his shoulder. “To be fair, Bo, she _does_ have a broken ankle.”

“Yeah, Bolin,” Korra taunted, blowing a raspberry at him from the couch. 

“Shove over,” said Asami, nudging Korra with her hip. The woman obliged, wiggling around to make space for Asami.

“Oh, so you make room for _Asami,_ but not me,” Bolin said, striking a dramatic pose. “The injustice!”

“Yeah, but Asami’s my _girlfriend,_ ” Korra said, grinning. “She gets special treatment like that.”

Opal pulled Bolin down next to her near the fireplace, where they leaned with their backs against the wall. Mako hovered uncertainly in the doorway, as if not quite sure where to go. 

“There’s a few boxes over there you can probably sit on,” Korra said to Mako. He nodded, making his way over to one and sitting down with a groan.

“How’s the detective life treating you?” Korra asked, eager to break the silence.

“Actually, really good!” said Mako, visibly brightening. He was always happy to talk about his work. “I’m just a bit sore at the moment- Beifong had us busting our tails all week in extra training.” Aside from working as Republic City High’s security officer, Lin Beifong also was the head of the police department in the city. 

Korra winced in sympathy. She knew firsthand how brutal the woman’s training sessions could be.

“Were you training for anything specific?” Asami asked.

“Well, kinda,” Mako replied. “There’s a couple of gangs making trouble in some of the rougher neighborhoods- we think they’re getting weapons from an outside supplier. At the moment the Chief’s still gathering evidence, but we’ve got a pretty good idea of what’s going on.”

“Sounds exciting,” Opal commented. “Although I have to say, I’m glad my Bolin’s not caught up in all that criminal stuff.” Bolin gave her a sappy look.  
Korra yawned, stretching her arms. She accidentally bonked Asami on the nose, and wasted no time in apologizing profusely to the woman.

“You’re okay,” said Asami, giggling. “But it’s a good thing you’re so cute- I’ll let you get away with it… this time.” She gave an evil laugh, fake lunging toward Korra.

Her girlfriend went along with it, jumping out of the way with a look of mock horror on her face. “Spare me, spare me please! Show mercy on a poor, hurt, woman!”

“Never!” yelled Asami, tickling Korra under the armpits before she had time to react. They dissolved into giggles, Korra twitching and rolling around as Asami tickled her.

The two seemed to realize that they weren’t alone in the room, and they dropped the act. 

“Whoops, sorry guys,” Korra said, failing to notice Opal shaking with suppressed laughter. 

“Are you kidding? That was hilarious!” she gasped. “Asami, I’ve _never_ seen you joke around this much.”

“What can I say?” Asami replied, throwing an arm around Korra’s shoulders. “Korra brings out the best in me.”

“Awwww,” said Bolin. “You guys are so sweet.” Even Mako silently agreed, although he didn’t voice the sentiment out loud. As weird as it was seeing his two exes together, he thought that they seemed perfect for each other. _Much more perfect than I was for either of them,_ he thought a little ruefully. 

* * * *

After their brief break, the group got back to work. In the end, they agreed to leave most of the furniture and decorations in place, just packing up Korra’s personal belongings. Her dresser would stay in the apartment, but all of its contents had been packed into boxes, along with her bedding and the rest of her clothes. The guest room at Asami’s would belong to Korra now, and Asami gave her permission to redecorate it however she wanted.

Together, they lugged the boxes (and Korra) to the cars, with Bolin giving her a piggyback ride down the stairs. 

“Thanks, Bo,” she said gratefully. “That was a lot easier than last time.”

“No prob,” he responded, handing her her crutches. 

Eventually, everything was packed into their cars, and they headed back to Asami’s house. By the time they got there, it was almost dark, and Asami made good on her promise to have them all stay for dinner. They ordered takeout like usual, trooping to the living room for a casual meal. Asami put on one of Bolin’s Nuktuk movies in the background, and the group spent the evening talking and playing Pai Sho. It was a Sunday, though, so with some regret Opal, Bolin, and Mako packed up early to head home.

“Sorry, guys, we’d love to stay for longer,” Opal said. “We’ll have to stop by again soon.” 

“No problem at all! See you tomorrow at work,” Korra called, waving them out the door. 

“So…” Asami said, approaching from behind. “What’re we gonna do about all this stuff?”

The girls looked around at the boxes piled haphazardly around the hallway, spilling over into Korra’s room and Asami’s office. They both sighed heavily, and their eyes met.

“Tomorrow,” they said in unison, bursting into laughter.

“Yep, I’m too tired for this right now,” Korra agreed, stretching widely again. 

“Me too,” Asami said. “Although… I’m not too tired for a little cuddle.”

“My door’s wide open,” said Korra grandly, making a sweeping gesture around her.

* * * *

It was only a few minutes later when Korra saw a dark figure slip through her doorway. 

“‘Sami?” she whispered groggily, fumbling for the lamp.

“Shhh,” the woman said, sliding into the bed next to Korra. “Go back to sleep.”

“Okay,” Korra murmured. She wrapped her arms around Asami, snuggling her face into the crook of the woman’s neck.

Asami smiled, perfectly happy to lie there in the dark, in the warm, strong arms of her girlfriend. _This is my life now,_ she thought, and she fell asleep truly content for the first time in years.


	13. X THIS IS NOT A NEW CHAPTER X

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> TL;DR  
> this story is unfortunately going to go on hiatus for reasons explained below  
> I am NOT abandoning it, however, and I promise I'll be back soon  
> Okay go read my lengthy explanation now ;)

Hello everyone!! I am SO sorry for the fake out.... since it _is_ my usual update day. Unfortunately, this is NOT a new chapter. 

So... bad news. I'm not sure if anyone actually reads the notes, but I think I've mentioned that this story is pre-written and I just edit each chapter to post once a week. HOWEVER, there's a catch to that. I hit some major writer's block halfway through the story, and instead of working through it I just skipped a whole middle chunk to work on a part that I felt motivated to write. Once I started posting, the plan was to gradually fill in that section so that by the time I got there in my posting schedule, it would be ready to go.

You've probably already guessed that that isn't the case XD  
Unfortunately, there is a gigantic gap in this fic that hasn't been written yet. I don't think I could skip it and just move on to the second part of the story- there's too much context that would be missing. So, with my deepest regrets, this story is officially on hiatus... *sobs uncontrollably*

HOWEVER, there should be one more chapter coming up pretty quick. There's a half-finished Halloween chapter (don't come at me, I wrote this story in October) that I'll need a week or two to work on, and then you guys will get that last little tidbit before the official hiatus starts. 

Also... I NEED HELP FROM Y'ALL (if you don't mind).  
The next part of the story involves some Asami trauma/angst (we couldn't just leave her be, could we?). I start pretty much a completely new arc which will explore their new relationship and the whole situation of them living/being together. In a way, this first half revolves around them _becoming_ a couple, and the second half revolves around them figuring out how to _be_ a couple.  
Would it be better for me to start a series and split up the two halves into separate fics? I have absolutely no clue how to work AO3 so I'm not sure if this would make it too complicated or hard for you guys to find, but it might help separate the two arcs a little better. Idk, and I'm indecisive af so any input will be appreciated. 

On that same not, I definitely think there's a possibility of me branching out and doing little one-shots in this same AU (I wanna do some KyaLin and possibly some more on the airbender kids + Kai). So maybe I _should_ start a series? Or a collection? Idk how these things work hELP.

Welp, if you're still with me all the way down here, thank you so, so much. This entire AO3 journey has been such a crazy ride (even though I've literally only written 1 fic). Honestly part of me can barely believe that all these people are actually reading _my_ work, for no other reason than they genuinely enjoy it. 

It's breaking my heart to put this story on hiatus, but I PROMISE I will do everything in my power to get it going as soon as humanly possible. I'm SO excited with the stuff that's to come; it's my best work if I do say so myself ;)  
If you EVER have questions or want an update, don't hesitate to comment and ask. PLEASE. I did a ton of ranting here and I'm sure like 50% of it is completely incoherent. I am HAPPY to clarify any points of confusion. 

Also, It would mean a lot to me if you guys stuck it out and came back when the break is over. 

That's all, folks! It was a very lengthy description for a pretty simple situation, but hey, I'm a ranter. Thanks so much for sticking around!

-H


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